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HISTORY 


OF 


ILLINOIS 

AND 

HER  PEOPLE 


BY 

PROFESSOR  GEORGE  W.  SMITH,  M.  A. 

Head,  Department  of  History,  State  Teachers  College,  Carbonddle,  Illinois; 

Author  of  a  Student's  History  of  Illinois;  Member  Board 

of  Directors,  State  Historical  Society 


Assisted  by  an  Advisory  Board 


IN  SIX  VOLUMES 


ILLUSTRATED 


Volume  I 


PUBLISHERS 

THE  AMERICAN  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY,  Inc. 

CHICAGO  AND  NEW  YORK 

1927 


Copyright  1927 
The  American  Historical,  Society,  Inc. 


177- 


{ 


\ 

% 


3 

3 
V.J 


FOREWORD 


From  the  years  when  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  en- 
acted and  reenacted  the  Ordinance  of  1787  to  the  present  time, 
faithful  men  and  women  have  been  recording  the  life  of  the 
people  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  Illinois  was  a  part  of  that 
Northwest  Territory.  It  was  in  our  beloved  State  that  the 
French  first  planted  their  social,  industrial,  and  political  insti- 
tutions. Old  Kaskaskia  near  Chester,  in  Randolph  County,  was 
settled  as  early  as  1699  or  1700  and  was  the  oldest  French  settle- 
ment in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

The  Northwest  Territory,  from  the  above  early  date  to  the 
close  of  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  1763,  was  wholly  under 
the  control  of  the  French.  The  history  of  Illinois  for  that  per- 
iod has  recently  become  available  to  the  general  public,  and  it  will 
be  found  intensely  interesting  and  instructive.  The  old  French 
life  lingered  on  the  old  towns  of  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  and  Vin- 
cennes  till  well  into  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  return  to  Illinois  of  the  brave  men  who  marched  and 
camped  and  fought  with  General  George  Rogers  Clark  in  the  con- 
quest of  the  Illinois  Country,  brought  an  English  speaking  peo- 
ple into  Indiana  and  Illinois  as  permanent  settlers.  By  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  language,  customs,  and  laws 
had  become  English ;  and  from  records,  letters,  newspapers,  and 
the  writings  of  travelers  we  can  gather  a  very  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  the  life  of  these  pioneer  people. 

Following  the  Civil  War  some  good  histories  were  written. 
Enterprising  publishing  companies  put  out  county  atlases  and 
county  histories  of  many  counties.  These  county  histories  gath- 
ered a  great  body  of  local  history  and  traditions  from  the  men 
and  women  who  had  participated  in  the  life  of  the  people  since 
the  state  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 

In  January,  1916,  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ill- 
inois created  the  "Illinois  Centennial  Commission"  whose  duty 
should  be  to  provide  for  and  carry  out  a  "celebration  in  honor  of 
the  Centennial  of  the  admission  of  the  State  of  Illinois  into  the 
Federal  Union."  In  addition  the  Commission  was  authorized  to 
"compile  and  publish  a  commemorative  history  of  the  State." 

This  history  consists  of  six  volumes  edited  by  Professor 
Evarts  Boutell  Greene  of  the  University  of  Illinois  who  was  also 
a  member  of  the  Commission.  The  State  was  liberal  in  its  ap- 
propriation for  the  celebration  and  for  the  history,  but  the  nura- 

iii 


FOREWORD  iv 

ber  of  copies  of  the  history  was  limited  and  the  work  is  found  in 
only  the  larger  libraries  and  in  a  few  private  collections. 

These  several  sources  of  the  history  of  Illinois  have  been 
freely  drawn  upon  in  the  preparation  of  these  volumes.  A  few 
years  ago  the  author  gave  considerable  time  to  research  work 
in  the  field  of  history  in  the  south  third  of  the  State.  This 
region  known  as  Southern  Illinois  or  Egypt  is  exceedingly  rich 
in  the  history  of  the  pioneer  life  of  the  State.  The  material  thus 
gathered  has  been  supplemented  by  similar  work  in  recent  years 
in  other  parts  of  the  State,  and  it  is  confidently  believed  that 
the  work  now  presented  will  be  found  a  most  complete  presenta- 
tion of  the  glorious  achievements  of  our  beloved  commonwealth. 

Volumes  IV,  V,  and  VI  will  be  found  of  inestimable  value  to 
the  present  readers  and  to  the  future  historian.  In  these  vol- 
umes are  to  be  found  the  biographies  of  the  men  and  women 
whose  forebears  have  borne  the  burden  and  the  heat  of  the  day. 
Many  of  them  came  with  the  first  English  speaking  settlers. 
Here  the  reader  will  surely  be  convinced  that  our  Illinois  has  been 
a  veritable  melting  pot  for  the  molding  of  a  high  type  of  Amer- 
ican citizenship. 

Here  will  be  found  the  names  of  men  and  women  descended 
from  the  Puritans  of  New  England,  the  Cavaliers  of  old  Virginia, 
the  Dutch  of  New  York,  the  Quakers  of  Pennsylvania,  or  the 
Huguenots  from  the  foot  hills  along  the  eastern  Alleghanies. 
There  will  also  be  found  in  these  volumes  the  names  of  hundreds 
of  people  who  are  proud  to  trace  their  descent  more  directly 
from  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  France,  the  Scandinavian  coun- 
tries, Germany,  Austria,  Poland,  Italy,  Greece,  Holland,  Belgium, 
the  Balkans,  and  even  from  far-away  Russia.  It  was  these 
earlier  and  later  migrants  who  have  carried  on  and  whose  de- 
scendants will  continue  to  carry  on  in  the  great  days  ahead  of 
us. 

The  History  of  Illinois  and  Her  People  is  now  presented 
to  an  intelligent  and  appreciative  constituency  with  the  hope 
that  it  may  help  its  readers  to  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  char- 
acter and  the  worth  of  the  noble  men  and  women  who  con- 
quered this  western  wilderness  and  planted  here  and  cherished 
those  institutions  which  minister  to  the  highest  type  of  civili- 
zation the  world  has  ever  known. 

Geo.  W.  Smith. 

Carbondale,  Illinois, 
November  13,  1926. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Volume  I 

FROM  THE  EARLIEST  DAYS  TO  THE  COMPLETION  OF 
ADMISSION  TO  THE  UNION 


CHAPTER  I 

GEOLOGY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Geologic  Processes  —  Laplacian  Hypothesis  —  Planetesi- 
mal  Hypothesis — Stages  of  Growth — Formation  of 
Seas  and  Oceans — The  Geologic  Eras — Geologic  Time 
Divisions  —  Geology  of  Illinois  —  Paleozoic  Era  — 
Silurian  System  —  Devonian  —  Mississippian  —  Penn- 
sylvanian  —  glacial  period  —  human  period  —  our 
Soil.  3 


CHAPTER  II 

PHYSICAL  BASIS  OF  THE  STATE'S  GREATNESS 

Two  Essential  Elements — Analysis  of  the  Physical  En- 
vironment —  Industrial    Institutions  —  Contour  — 
Climate — Resources,  Mineral,  Vegetable,  Animal.  __24 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  INDIANS 

The  Algonquins — The  Illinois  Confederation — Indian 
Characteristics,  War,  Hunting,  the  Family,  Selfish- 
ness, the  Tribe,  Religion,  Social  Life,  Burial  of  the 
Dead,  Some  Virtues. 46 


vi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  FRENCH  IN  CANADA 

Relation  of  Illinois  to  Canada — America  in  Three  Par- 
cels— English  and  French  Contrasted — Champlain, 
Father  of  New  France — Pushing  Into  the  Interior — 
First  Bishops  in  New  France — The  Congress  of  Sault 
Ste.  Marie. 59 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER 

Louis  Joliet — Father  Marquette — The  Journey  to  the 
Mississippi — The  Piasa  Bird — The  Return  Journey — 
Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception — Death  of 
Marquette.  70 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DEFEATS  AND  TRIUMPHS  OF  LA  SALLE 

His  Post  at  Lachine — Fort  Frontenac — Letters  Patent — 
The  Griffin — Fort  Miami — Kaskaskia — Peoria — Creve- 
coeur — Hennepin  Exposition — La  Salle  in  New  France 
— Tonti's  Trials 80 


CHAPTER  VII 

LA  SALLE'S  UNFINISHED  TASK 

LaSalle's  Vision — The  Process  Verbal — Stricken  With 
Fever — The  Great  Fort — LaSalle  at  Matagorda  Bay— 
Tonti  Alone. 96 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PERMANENT  SETTLEMENTS 

The  First  Kaskaskia — Biloxi  Founded — The  New  Kaskas- 
kia— Louisiana  Granted  to  Crozat — The  Western  Coun- 
try— Fort  Chartres — Resume. 109 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  vii 


CHAPTER  IX 

ILLINOIS  A  ROYAL  PROVINCE. 

Chickasa  War  —  Revival  of  Interests  —  Conflict  of  In- 
terests— King  George's  War — The  Ohio  Land  Company 
— Fort  Necessity — Illinois  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War — End  of  War — Pontiac's  War — Proclamation  of 
1763.   127 


CHAPTER  X 

FRENCH  CONTRIBUTION  TO  ILLINOIS  LIFE 
(By  Joseph  J.  Thompson) 

After  the  French  Dominion — The  Advent  of  Other  Set- 
tlers— The  French  Elsewhere  in  Illinois — At  Bor- 
bounnais  and  Kankakee.  145 


CHAPTER  XI 

ILLINOIS  UNDER  BRITISH   CONTROL 

Movement  West — Description  of  Illinois — A  Prophecy — 
Courts  Established — Captain  Philip  Pittman — Fort 
Chartres  Abandoned — The  Quebec  Act. 154 


CHAPTER  XII 

CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS 

Kentucky  Settlers — George  Rogers  Clark — Instructions — 
Down  the  Ohio — Dr.  Lyman  Copeland  Draper — March 
Across  Southern  Illinois — The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia 
— Capture  of  Cahokia — Vincennes  Surrendered — Illi- 
nois County,  Virginia. 169 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CIVIL  GOVERNMENT  IN  ILLINOIS 

Colonel  Vigo — March  to  Vincennes — The  Attack — Terms 
of  Surrender — Coming  of  John  Todd — Todd's  Departure 
— Illinois  Abandoned. 186 


viii  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  PERIOD  OF  ANARCHY 

Decline  — Soldiers  —  Spaniards   in   Illinois  —  Diplomacy 
— Mustered  Out — Kaskaskia  Court. 204 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787 

Population — The  King's  View — State  or  Nation — Mary- 
land's Demand — Ordinance  of  1784-1785 — Weakness  of 
Ordinance  of  1784 — Ohio  Company  of  Associates — Ordi- 
nance of  1787 — Provisions  of  the  Ordinance — Bill  of 
Rights — The  Westward  Movement — Territory  First 
Class  —  Counties  Organized  —  St.  Clair  County  —  A 
Memorial — Immigration — Randolph  County. 217 


CHAPTER  XVI 

NORTHWEST  TERRITORY— FIRST  AND  SECOND  CLASS 

The  Old  Congress — First  Class — Second  Class — Delegate 
— Territory  Divided.  239 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ILLINOIS  PART  OF  INDIANA  TERRITORY 

Indiana  Territory  Created — The  Sixth  Article — Vote  on 
Second  Class — Indentured  Servants — Move  Toward 
Separation — Dueling — Division  Accomplished. 244 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
Person,  Places,  and  Things. 255 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XIX 

ILLINOIS    *    *    *    TERRITORY  OF  FIRST  CLASS 

Territorial  Officials — The  Legislative  Body — A  New 
Method — Treaties  With  the  Indians — Centers  of  Pop- 
ulation— Indian  Barbarities — Battle  of  Tippecanoe — 
Forts  and  Blockhouses. 263 

CHAPTER  XX 

THE  WAR  OF  1812 

Causes  of  the  War — Loss  of  Detroit — The  Rangers — The 
Fort  Dearborn  Massacre — The  Illinois  Campaigns — 
Captain  Craig  at  Peoria — The  Governor  Invades  the 
Enemy's  Country — The  Campaign  of  1813 — Atrocities 
Continue — Treaties.   277 

CHAPTER  XXI 

ILLINOIS  A  TERRITORY  OF  THE  SECOND  CLASS 

Illinois  a  First  Class  Territory — The  Legislature  Organ- 
ized— Some  Early  Laws — Land  Titles — Delegate  in 
Congress  —  Preemption  Laws  —  Shadrach  Bond  —  In- 
creased Immigration — Civil  Administration — Banks — 
Cairo.  290 

CHAPTER  XXII 

LOOKING  FORWARD  TO  STATEHOOD 

Abstract  of  Title — Territorial  Government — Comparisons 
— Make-up  of  Congress — Government  Aristocratic — 
Right  of  Suffrage  Modified — Factions — Editor  Cook — 
Propaganda.  308 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ENABLING  ACT 

Membership  of  Legislature — The  Petition — Slavery — Mr. 
Pope  Presents  Petition — The  Northern  Boundary — 
Some  Features  of  the  Act — Commercial  Possibilities — 
Electing  Delegates — Expedient  or  Inexpedient — Who's 
Who  Among  the  Delegates — Occupations — Military 
Service.  321 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


THE  CONVENTION 


Journal — Population — Death  of  Mr.  Mangham — Appor- 
tionment— The  Capital — Bill  of  Rights — The  Consti- 
tution— Election.   342 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A  RETROSPECT 

Distribution  of  Population — The  Pioneers — Economic  Con- 
ditions —  Transportation  —  Religious  Life  —  Educa- 
tional Progress — The  Return  of  Clark's  Men. 356 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A  RETROSPECT    (Continued) 

The  Canadian  Contingent — A  Cultured  Family — Another 
Picture  —  Sociability  —  Amusements  —  Punishments 
— Newspapers — Centers  of  Settlement — Public  Men — 
Revolutionary  Soldiers — Interesting  Places. 373 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  TRANSITION 

Travel  and  Transportation — The  Flat  Boat — The  Steam- 
boat— The  National  Road — The  Frontier  Line — Educa- 
tion— The  Ordinance — Free  School  Law — Population 
Centers — Trade  and  Commerce — The  Sangamon  Coun- 
try.   409 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  NEW  STATE 

Civil  Organizations — Legislature  at  Work — Black  Code — 
Moving  the  Capital — Money  and  Banks — People  in 
1818.   426 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS  xi 

Volume  II 

FROM  STATEHOOD  TO  THE  CIVIL  WAR 


CHAPTER  I 


ILLINOIS  AND  NATIONAL  EXPANSION 

Self  Government — Expansion  Westward — Political  Ex- 
pansion— Court  Decisions — Economic  Expansion — Pop- 
ulation Expansion — Approaching  Danger. 7 


CHAPTER  II 

FOR  OR  AGAINST  SLAVERY 

Four  Candidates — Coles  a  Virginian — Ambassador — Slaves 
Freed — Governor-Elect — The  Message — Critical  Sub- 
ject— Report  of  Committee — Contested  Election — A 
Reversal — Public  Appeals — Public  Men — Outside  Help 
— A  Bitter  Campaign — Public  Speakings — Secret  So- 
cieties— The  Churches — The  Papers — The  Election — 
Reflections. 18 


CHAPTER  III 
POLITICS,  NATIONAL  AND  STATE 

Parties — Compromise — Campaign  1826 — Governor  Edwards 
— The  Courts — Penitentiary — Public  Lands — Public 
Men.  51 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  DISTINGUISHED  VISITOR 

Immigration — An  Invitation — In  St.  Louis — At  Kaskaskia 
— At  Shawneetown.   67 


xii  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  V 

A  SHORT  RETROSPECT— 1830 

Comparison  —  Some  Immigrants  —  Trade  and  Commerce  — 
Roads — Newspapers — New  Counties — Distribution  of 
Population — Industries — Religion — Some  Legislation 
— Social  Progress — The  Penitentiary.  73 


CHAPTER  VI 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CHICAGO 

The  Name — The  Winter  of  1674-75 — The  Treaty — The  FmsT 
Citizen — The  First  Wedding — Chicago  in  1812 — New 
Fort  Dearborn — Fur  Trading — Treaty — Chicago  Grows 
— Cook  County.  98 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  LAST  INDIAN  WAR 

Treaties — The  Lead  Mines — Black  Hawk — The  Winnebago 
War — Raising  Troops — The  Military  Tract — Saukenuk 
Bought — Volunteers — The  Army — The  Interim — Mi- 
litia Called — Organization — The  March — Stillman's 
Defeat — Burying  the  Dead. 108 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  LAST  INDIAN  WAR 
(Continued) 

Up  Rock  River — In  Captivity — The  New  Army — Disobeys 
Orders — Battle  of  Wisconsin — General  Scott — Noted 
Men. 135 


CHAPTER  IX 

MARTYRDOM  OF  LOVEJOY 

Politics — Radicals  and  Conservatives — A  Moral  Hero- 
Biography  —  Out  West  —  Converted  —  Preaching  - 
The  Observer — Slavery  Editorial — New  Code — Reply- 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS  xiii 


Judge  Lawless — Moved  to  Alton — Second  Press — Amal- 
gamation —  Anti-Slavery  Society  —  Anti-Abolition  — 
Adding  Fuel  —  Last  Appeal  —  The  Guard  —  The 
Mob.   158 


CHAPTER  X 

A  PIONEER  INDUSTRY 

Evidences — Mr.  Sellers — Sources — Springs  Leased — Reser- 
vations— Gift  to  Illinois — Indentured  Slaves — The 
Elliotts — Conrad  Will — Other  Works — Fuel — Thorn 
House — Colonel  Sellers. 187 


CHAPTER  XI 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  Canvass — Local  Interests — Canals — Indian  Cessions — 
Canal  or  Railroad — Railroads — In  Illinois — Roads, 
Bridges,  etc. — Lotteries — Banks — Inaugural  Message 
— Boosting  Alton — More  Legislation — Governor's  Mes- 
saged— Noted  Men — The  Convention — The  Law — Log 
Rolling — Long  Nine — Fund  Commissioners. 204 


CHAPTER  XII 

COLLAPSE  OF  THE  INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENT  SYSTEM. 

Some  Details — The  Northern  Cross — The  Fund  Commis- 
sioners— The  Last  Message — Governor  Carlin — More 
Appropriations — The  Balance  Sheet — Special  Session 
— The  Lost  Interest — Northern  Cross — Election — The 
Debt — The  Way  Out — The  Banks — Suspension  of  Specie 
Payment.! 231 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WHIGS  AND  DEMOCRATS 

Party  Politics — Election  of  1824 — Party  Politics  in  Illi- 
nois— The  Irish  Vote — Secretary  of  State — Another 
Case — Whigs  in  Convention — Preliminaries — Friendly 
Debate  —  Monster  Meetings  —  Log  Cabin  Campaign  — 
State  Central  Committee: — At  Springfield. 251 


xiv  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  MORMONS 

Religious  Freedom — Origin — A  Bible  Student — A  Religious 
Romance  —  Witnesses  —  Church  Organized  —  Smith  a 
Banker — The  Gap  Widens — Nauvoo — Smith  in  Wash- 
ington— Politics — A  Charter — For  the  Democrats — 
Another  Warrant  —  New  Features  —  Old  Citizen  — 
Spiritual  Wives — The  Expositor — More  Habeas  Corpus 
— Governor  Ford — Some  Complaints — In  Jail — The 
Crime — Apostles  Reign — Immigrants — The  Wolf  Hunt 
— The  Preparation — Real  War.  268 


CHAPTER  XV 

A  TRANSITION  PERIOD 

Transformation — Basis  of  Progress — Farmers — Manufac- 
turing— Commerce  and  Transportation — Population — 
Higher  Education — Second  Township — Four  Colleges 
— Shurtleff  College — McKendree  College — Illinois 
College — The  Yale  Bond — Opening  Day — Knox  College 
— Some  Drawbacks — Repudiation.  295 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ILLINOIS  IN  THE  MEXICAN  WAR 

The  Slogan — Call  to  Arms — The  Organization — Off  For 
the  War — Politics — Illinois  Troops  Return. 310 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1848 

Constitution  Not  Submitted — First  Effort — Some  Changes 
— Men  of  Prominence — Economy — Other  Changes — 
Ratification — Governor  French.  323 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS  xv 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

UNDER  THE  NEW  CONSTITUTION 

Township    Organization — Homestead    Exemption — Contro- 
versy With  St.  Louis — State  Policy — Tribute. 341 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  NEW  BANKING  SYSTEM 

More  Population — Chicago  a  Business  Center — Art.  X, 
Sec.  5  —  The  Law  of  '51  —  Wildcats  —  Organizing  a 
Bank. 352 

CHAPTER  XX 

THE  RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN  PARTY 

Slave  History — Compromise  of  1850 — Repeal — A  Platform 
— Senator  Douglas — At  Ripon — In  Illinois — State 
Mass  Convention — Republican  Convention — The  De- 
bate— The  Outcome — Political  Class — Paul  Selby — 
The  Call — The  Bloomington  Convention — Delegate 
Lincoln — In  Major's  Hall — The  Lost  Speech — Resolu- 
tions— Democrats  in  1856 — Bissell  Elected. 361 

CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATE 

The  Missouri  Compromise — Stephen  A.  Douglas — A  New 
Party — The  Dred  Scott  Decision — Lecompton  Consti- 
tution— Nominations — Douglas  in  Chicago — Off  for 
Springfield — The  Challenge — The  Newspapers — Prep- 
arations— The  Reports — The  Ottawa  Debate — The 
Freeport  Debate — The  Jonesboro  Debate — The  Charles- 
ton Debate — The  Galesburg  Debate: — The  Quincy  De- 
bate:— The  Alton  Debate — Other  Estimates. 387 


CHAPTER  XXII 

The  Freeport  Debate. 420 


xvi  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 

Canal  or  Railroad — Whose  Honor — The  First  Charter — 
The  Second  Charter — The  Third  Charter — The  Fourth 
Charter — A  Contention — Final  Passage — The  Gift — 
The  Memorial — The  Fifth  Charter — Work  Begun — 
Foreign  Ownership — Cost  of  Road — The  Charter — The 
Income — A  Contention. 454 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

ON  THE  EVE  OF  A  GREAT  CONFLICT 

Douglas  in  the  South — Southern  Sentiment — Lincoln  Ac- 
tive— Cooper  Union  Speech — The  Charleston  Conven- 
tion— Douglas  Nominated — Presidential  Candidates — 
The  Campaign — The  Rivals — Lincoln  in  Springfield — 
Douglas  in  the  Campaign — Threats  of  Secession — Se- 
cession Begins  —  Compromise  —  Lincoln  Silent  —  The 
Cabinet — Inaugural  Address — Visits  His  Mother — 
Farewell  to  Springfield — Illinois'  War  Governor — 
Lincoln  in  Washington — Courtesies. 469 


Volume  III 

FROM  1860  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME 


CHAPTER  I 


AT  HOME  AND  AT  THE  FRONT 

Governor  Yates — Defense  of  Cairo — Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
Gen.  U.  S.  Grant — Grant  at  Cairo — John  A.  Logan — 
Williamson  Secedes — End  of  1861 — Some  Politics — 
Constitutional  Convention — Legislature  Democratic — 
The  Emancipation  Proclamation — The  Golden  CntcLE 
— The  Press.  7 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xvii 


CHAPTER  II 

AT  HOME  AND  IN  BATTLE 

Women's  Help — Yates  at  Shiloh — State  Sanitary  Bureau 
— The  American  Bastile — Cairo  and  Mound  City — Gun- 
boats— Mortar  Boats — Camps  and  Prisons — Camp  But- 
ler —  Camp  Douglas  —  A  Conspiracy  —  Politics  in 
1864. 36 


CHAPTER  III 

MILITARY  ORGANIZATION 

Infantry  —  Cavalry  —  Artillery  —  Independent    Bat- 
terhjjs.  56 


CHAPTER  IV 

AFTER  THE  WAR 

Recuperation — Increased  Acreage — Skilled  Agriculturists 
— Better  Implements — Transportation — Banks  and 
Currency — Growth  of  Cities  —  Manufactures  —  The 
Homestead  Law — Social  Progress — The  New  Spirit — 
Standards — Religious  Advance — Camp  Meeting — Some 
Statistics — Education — Political  Situation. 91 


CHAPTER  V 

CONSTITUTION  OF  1870 

Constitution  of  1818 — Constitution  of  1848 — Call  for  a 
Convention  —  The  Delegates  —  Organization  —  The 
Needed  Changes — The  Franchise: — The  Canal — Minor- 
ity Representation — Regulating  Railroads — The  Illi- 
nois Central — Courts — Education. 122 


CHAPTER  VI 

POLITICAL  UNREST 

The  FmsT  Signs — Campaign  of  1868 — -An  Off  Year — Some 
Complaints — Results  in  Illinois — The  Cincinnati  Con- 
vention— Campaign  in  Illinois. 149 


xviii  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  CHICAGO  FIRE 

A  Wooden  City — The  First  Fire — The  Second  Fire — Area, 
Etc. — Temporary  Relief — A  Proclamation — Federal 
Aid — Relief — Special  Session — A  Controversy — Action 
of  the  Legislature. 164 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BETTER  FARMING 

Agricultural  Society — Better  Stock — Prof.  J.  B.  Turner — 
Teacher's  Association — The  Leaven  at  Work — College 
and  Seminary  Lands — Illinois  Agricultural  College — 
Private  or  State  School — School  Opens  1866 — Bad 
Management  —  Uncertainty  —  The  Result  —  Improve- 
ment in  Farming — The  Corn  Planter — The  Reaper — 
Fodder — Silos — Building  the  Soil — Dairy  Farming — 
Wool  Growing — Hogs. 179 


CHAPTER  IX 

FARMERS  IN  BUSINESS  AND  POLITICS 

Corporations — Agrarian  Discontent — The  Railroads — Com- 
petition— Buying  and  Selling — No  Remedy  in  Politics 
—  Social  and  Intellectual  Status  —  Remedy  —  The 
Grange — Granges  in  Illinois — Farmers'  Associations — 
Political — Constitution  of  1870 — Legislature  of  1871 
— Some  Cases — Laws  Amended — Farmers  as  Business 
Men — Mail  Order  Concerns — Keeping  Store — Co-oper- 
ative Marketing — Social  Value — Intellectual 204 


CHAPTER  X 

ILLINOIS  IN  WORLD'S  FAIRS 

Centennial  of  Independence — Illinois  at  Philadelphia — 
World's  Columbian  Exposition — Illinois  Commission- 
ers— Purpose  of  the  Exhibit — Stock  Company  Organ- 
ized— Committees — Site  Selected — Midway  Plaisance 
— Artistic  Buildings — Concessions  &  Privileges — Dedi- 
cation of  Buildings — Installation  of  Exhibits — Look- 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS  xix 


ing  Forward — World's  Congresses — Place  of  Meeting — 
Art  Display— The  Opening,  May  1,  1893— Sunday  Clos- 
ing— World's  Fair  Mayors — The  Field  Museum — The 
Illinois  Building — The  Exhibits — The  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase World's  Fair. 232 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  STATE  GOVERNMENT  AT  WORK 

Republican  Government — The  Logical  Order — The  Legis- 
lature at  Work — Bills  in  Committee: — Advancing 
Bills — The  Last  Lap — Other  Methods — The  Judicial 
Department — Election  of  Judges — The  Executive — 
State  Officers — The  Governor — Special  Sessions — Par- 
tial Veto  —  Spoils  —  Boards  and  Commissions  —  Ef- 
ficiency and  Economy  Committee — Report  of  Com- 
mittee— Civil  Administrative  Code — Finance — Agri- 
culture— Labor — Mines  and  Mining — Public  Works — 
Public  Welfare — Public  Health — Trade  and  Com- 
merce— Registration  and  Education — The  Budget.— 268 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  CENTENNIAL  ANNIVERSARY 

Our  Illinois — Neighboring  States — Preliminaries — Legis- 
lative Action — Publicity — County  Celebrations — A 
Historical  Sketch — Important  Dates — Illinois  Day, 
December  3,  1917. — Governor  Lowden  Presides — Sena- 
tor Sherman — Governor  Fifer — Governor  Dunne — 
Governor  Yates — Illinois  in  War — Lincoln's  Birthday 
Observance — Justice  Ridell,  Ontario — In  Flanders 
Field — Thomas  P.  O'Connor — The  Enabling  Act — Mr. 
echenrode — allen  johnson — charles  n.  moore — a 
Message  From  France — The  Land  of  Men — American 
Colonial  System — Governor  Lowden — Freeing  of  Illi- 
nois^— A  Memorial  Wreath — Overlooking  Kaskaskia — 
The  Constitution  Adopted — Vandalia  Celebration — 
First  Governor  Inaugurated — Hon.  Josephus  Daniels — 
Lord  Charnwood — The  Chicago  Celebration — The  Clos- 
ing Celebration — The  Centennial  History — The  Cen- 
tennial Building. 299 


xx  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ILLINOIS  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR 

Illinois  Militia — Building  up  Sentiment — Theodore  Roose- 
velt— The  First  Steps — In  the  Cantonments — Of- 
ficers Training  Camp — The  Illinois  Contingent — 
Money — Seven  Billions — Loans  and  Taxation — Liberty 
Loan — A  Proclamation — Liberty  Loan  Day — Saving 
Food — Dean  Davenport — Seed  Corn — Conservation — 
Herbert  Hoover — Work — Council  of  National  Defense 
— Council  at  Work — Methods  of  Work — Mothers  at 
Work — In  the  Cantonments — November  11,  1918 — Re- 
view— New  Problems — Bonus.  341 


CHAPTER  XIV 

EDUCATION  IN  ILLINOIS 

English  Ideals — The  First  Schools — General  Welfare — 
Basis  of  Illinois  System — The  First  University — The 
Illinois  Township — The  First  Step — Free  Schools — 
Primitive  School  Houses — Progress — Teachers'  Insti- 
tutes— Five  Conventions — School  Law  of  1855 — The 
Present  System — Elementary  Schools — Townships 
and  Districts — Revenues — The  Villages — In  Cities — 
County  Superintendent — School  Houses — Course  of 
Study  —  Consolidation  and  Transportation  —  High 
Schools — City  High  Schools — Township  High  School 
— Two  Functions  —  The  Teachers  Colleges  —  Two 
Kinds  of  Work — Rural  Practice — The  State  Univer- 
sity.   371 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  SOUTHERN  ILLINOIS  TORNADO 
The  Cyclonic  Area — Time  Movement — Gorham  Destroyed — 

MURPHYSBORO   NUMBER  OF  DEATHS — At  DeSOTO — IN  THE 

Country — Hurst-Bush  —  West  Frankfort  —  Parrish  — 
— Bringing  Relief — Sources  of  Relief — Farm  Bureau — 
Sears,  Roebuck  and  Co. 403 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xxi 

CHAPTER  XVI 

ILLINOIS  OF  TODAY 

Land  the  Basis — Domestic  Animals — Live  Stock  Products 
— Comparisons  —  Manufacturing  —  Summaries  —  Prin- 
cipal Industries — Distribution  of  Factories — New  In- 
dustry— Coal  and  Oil — Transportation — Hard  Roads — 
Governor  Lowden — The  Bates  Test  Road — Additional 
Bonds — Illinois  Waterways — Social  Progress — Some 
Signs — The  Charities — Libraries — Nineteenth  Amend- 
ment.   411 

Appendix  A 434 

Appendix  B 441 


INDEX 


Aachte,   Hermann,   VI,   422 

Abbott,  John  B.,  V,  37 

Abbott,  Katherine   L.,  VI,  318 

Abell,  Joseph  L.,  VI,  270 

Abstract  of  Title,  Illinois,  I,  308 

Ackerman,  William  K.,  Ill,  239 

Adams,  Charles  H.,  Ill,  66 

Adams,   Samuel,  V,   138 

Adcock,  Edmund  D.,  VI,  255 

Adcock,  William,  VI,  256 

Adderly,    Henry    C,   VI,    100 

Adkins,    Charles,    IV,    179 

Adler,  Leonhard  W.,  V,  155 

Agrarian  discontent,  III,  205 

Agricultural  societies,  III,  94;  society, 
1819,  180 

Agriculture:  scientific,  I,  30;  expansion 
in,  II,  12;  increased  acreage,  after 
Civil  War,  III,  92;  skilled  agricultur- 
ists, 93;  agricultural  societies,  94; 
better  implements,  transportation,  95; 
implements,  105,  179,  416;  improve- 
ments in  farming,  192;  corn  planter, 
194;  reaper,  194;  fodder,  195;  silos, 
196;  building  the  soil,  199;  dairy  farm- 
ing, 200;  connection  with  business  and 
politics,  204;  agrarian  discontent,  205; 
corn,  208;  grain  market,  208;  competi- 
tion, 209;  during  World  war,  359,  412 

Agriculture  Department,  III,  291,  294 

Ahlschwede,  George  M.  Jr.,  V,  59 

Ahlstrom,  Edwin,  V,  348 

Ainsworth,   William   E.,  IV,  314 

Albert,  Thomas  J.,  V,  294 

Albertsen,    Ubbo    J.,    IV,    71 

Albion,   I,   421 

Aldrich,  Chester  A.,  VI,  78 

Aldrich,  Frederick  C,  V,  80 

Alexander,  Walter  C,  V,  323 

Alexandrian    limestone,    I,    13 

Algohquins,  I,   46 

Aliens,  right  to  vote,  II,  258 

Allen,    Burt   M.,    IV,    404 

Allen,   Henry   A.,   V,   73 

Allen,    James    C,    II,    494 

Allen,   James   M.,   IV,   196 

Allen,  "Josh",   III,   55 

Allen,  Leo  E.,  VI,  329 

Allen,  Norman  T.,  V,  296 

Allen,    Royal    N.,   VI,    263 


Allen,  Thomas  G.,  Ill,  72 

Allen,   William  J.,   Ill,   128 

Allied  Relief  Department,  State  Council 

of  Defense,  III,  368 
Allin,  Eugenia,  IV,  182 
Allouez,  Claude  J.,  I,  66,  384 
Alluvial    soils,    I,    23 
Altgeld,  John  P.  (illustration),  III,  257; 

IV,  377 
Alton,    II,    220;    III,    101 
Alton    Battalion,    III,    83 
Alton    College,   II,    302,   417 
Alton    Seminary,    II,    302 
Alton  Telegraph  Printing  Co.,  V,  8 
Alvord,   Clarence   W.,  I,   145 
Alward,  V.  L.,  IV,  375 
Amell,  J.   Bruce,  VI,  322 
"American  Bastile,  The",  III,  38 
American    Bottom    (map),    snowing    old 

French    villages,    I,    149;     settlement, 

258,    293,    407 
American  Colonial  system,  III,  327 
American  Fur  Company,  II,   104 
Ammann,  Arthur  C,  IV,  201 
Ammann,  Jacob  F.,  V,  85 
Amrhein,  Carl,  IV,  181 
Amusements,    pioneer,    I,   379 
Anarchy,   period   of,   I,   204 
Anderson,   Benjamin  F.,  VI,   100 
Anderson,  Cyrus   H.,  V,  222 
Anderson,  Joseph,   I,   404 
Anderson,  McKinley  J.,   V,   196 
Anderson,  Palmer    E.,    V,    10 
Anderson,  Robert,    II,    153 
Andrew,   George   H.,  V,  200 
Andrews,  James,  I,  389 
Andrews,  James  H.,  IV,  145 
Andrews,  Samuel    W.,    V,    383 
Angsten,  Peter  J.,  V,  33 
Animal   life,   I,   27 
Animal  resources,  I,  44 
Ankney,  Rollin  V.,  Ill,  82 
Anna   Stone   Company,  V,   420 
Annell,   E.   G.,  VI,  336 
Anthony,    Elliott,   III,    128 
Anthonv,   John    W.,   IV,   371 
Anti-Abolition,   II,   176 
Anti-Mormon  party,   II,  282 
Anti-Nebraska  Convention,  1854,  II,  375 
Anti-Nebraska  ticket,  election  of,  II,  385 


XX111 


XXIV 


INDEX 


Anti-Slavery   Society,   II,   175-179 

Apken,   Harry   B.,  V,   96 

"Appeal    to    the    Citizens    of    Illinois", 

1823,  II,  34 
Appell,  Alfred,  IV,   187 
Appellate    Court    Building,    Mt.    Vernon 

(illustration),  II,  348 
Apple   River    Canyon    (illustration),    II, 

61 
Arbeiter,  William  J.  H.,  V,  297 
Archeozoic  Era,  I,  10 
Arlin,  William  P.,  Ill,  65 
Armour,  J.  Ogden,  III,  363 
Armour,  Philip  D.  (illustration)  III,  201; 

IV,  352 
Armstrong,  James  C,  IV,  173 
Armstrong,  Thomas  J.,  IV,  220 
"Army  of   Occupation",   II,   311 
Arnold,   Bion   J.,   VI,   234 
Arnold,   Fred,  V,   282 
Arnold,  Isaac  N.,  VI,  352 
Arnold,  John  J.,  IV,  22 
Articles   of  Confederation,  I,  211 
Artillery   organizations,   III,   87 
Ashcraft,  Edwin  M.,  IV,  10 
Association  of  Commerce,  Bloomington, 

VI,  390 
Atkins,   Smith  D.,  Ill,  74 
Atkinson,  Charles   T.,  V,   118 
Atkinson,  Henry,   II,   150 
Atkinson,  Walter   L.,   V,   244 
Atlantic    and    Mississippi    Railroad,    II, 

351 
Atwater,  John,   I,  372 
Atwood,    Charles    B.,    Ill,    253 
Aubert,   Louis,   III,   325 
Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  office  of,  III, 

278 
Aurora,  III,  100 

Aurora   Public   Library,  VI,   312 
Austin,  Elliott  T.,  IV,  170 
Automobiles,   III,  416 
Ayer,  Edward  E.,  VI,  401 
Ayer,  Elbridge  G.,  VI,  401 

Babcock,    Amos    C,    III,    76 
Baccus,  W.  I.,  V,  353 
Bacon,  J.  H.,  IV,  154 
Badgley,  David,  I,  389 
Bagley,  Fred,  VI,  257 
Bailey,  Edward,  VI,  62 
Bailey,  Fred   S.,  VI,  62 
Bailey,  George  W.  K.,  Ill,  76 
Bailey,  James  G.,  IV,  248 
Bailey,  Joseph,  I,  151 
Bailhache,  John,  IV,  379 
Bain,  John  W.,  V,  154 
Bain,  Walter  G.,  IV.  213 
Baker,  Benjamin  F.,  IV,  152 
Baker,  David  J.,  IV,  380 


Baker,  Edward  D.,  II,  224,  312;  III,  314; 

IV,  357 
Baker,  Edwin  P.,  V,  389 
Baker,  Henry  M.,  Ill,  410 
Baker,  Henry  S.,  VI,  11 
Baker,  Jehu,  IV,    380 
Baker,  John  C,  V,  236 
Baker,  William  C,  VI,  30 
Bakery  products,   III,  416 
Baldwin,  James   S.,   IV,  135 
Baldwin,  Silas    D.,   Ill,   68 
Baldwin,  Theron,  III,  382 
Balke,  Clarence  W.,  V,  199 
Ball,  Jacob  F.,  IV,  230 
Ballance,  Charles,  III,  71 
Ballenger,  G.  Walter,  IV,  93 
Baltimore  convention,  III,  51 
Bancroft,  Edgar  A.,  Ill,  326 
Bandy,  James  M.,  VI,  146 
Bane,  Moses  M.,  Ill,  67 
Bank  of  Cairo,  I,  307;  Bill,  (illustration) 

I,  440 

Bank  of  Edwardsville,  The,  I,  306 

Bank  of  Illinois,  The,  I,  305 

Banks:  in  Illinois  Territory,  I,  303;  first 
in  Illinois  Territory,  305;  439;  1820, 
442;  first  United  States,  II,  10;  char- 
tering of,  91;  second  United  States, 
206;  and  internal  improvement,  217; 
1834,  246;  1841,  249;  new  system,  352; 
early  banking,  354;  law  of  1851,  356; 
wildcat,  357;  method  of  organization, 
1851,  358;  National  Banking  law,  360; 
and  currency,  III,  96 

Baptist:  first  church  in  Illinois,  I,  366; 

II,  87,  89;  colleges,  301 
Barbarities,  Indian,  I,  269 
Barber,  Howard  E.,  VI,  90 
Barber,  John  A.,  IV,  195 
Barbour,  James  J.,  V,  6 
Barco,  A.  U.,  V,  141 
Bardill,  J.  G.,  V,  9 
Barkdoll,  Jacob  W.,  IV,  56 
Barnes,  Gilbert  A.,  VI,  239 
Barnes,  Hattie  R.  S.,  VI,  240 
Barnes,   Joseph   E.,  VI,  45 
Barnes,  Mortimer  G.,  V,  121 
Barnes,  Philip  W.,  VI,  249 
Barnett,  Richard  S.,  V,  16 
Barrett,  Charles  V.,  VI,  53 
Barrett,  James  A.,  Ill,  86 
Barrett,  John  F.,  V,  93 
Barry,  John  P.,  VI,  161 
Bartelson,  Frederick  A.,  Ill,  76 
Bartlett,  Lloyd  A.,  VI,  82 
Barwell,  John  W.,  V,  223 
Basil,  James,  IV,  171 

Bass  hatchery,  Carlyle,  (illustration)  II, 

233 
Bastian,  Harry  A.,  VI,  328 


INDEX 


XXV 


Batchelder,  Mark  D.,  IV,  32 

Bateman,  Newton,  III,  147,  159,  392;  IV, 

402 
Bates,  Alben  F.,  V,  154 
Bates,  Charles  T.,  V,  65 
Bates  Experimental  Road,  III,  426 
Bates  Test  Road,  III,  426 
Battle  of  Antietam,  III,  29 
Battle  of  Bad  Axe,  II,  145 
Battle  of  Buena  Vista,  II,  317 
Battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  II,  321 
Battle  of  the  Wisconsin,  II,  144 
Battle  of  Tippecanoe,  I,  271 
Batty,  George  F.,  VI,  44 
Bauer,  Edward  N.,  VI,  29 
Bauernfeind,  Howard  K.,  V,  201 
Baum,  Birchard  E.,  VI,  225 
Baum,  William  F.,  V,  87 
Baxter,  William  J.,  VI,  277 
Baysinger,  Millard  W.,  V,  391 
Beach,  Clifford  E.,  V,  425 
Beach,  Raymond  W.,  VI,  73 
Beadles,  Jesse  A.,  VI,   257 
Beardsley,  James  M.,  IV,  144 
Beattie,  James  G.,  VI,  196 
Beatty,  Sydney   M.,  IV,  170 
Beaubien,  Charles  H.,  I,  151 
Beaubien,  John  B.,  I,  151;  II,  104,  106 
Beaubien,  Mark,  I,  151;  II,  106 
Beaubien,  Medard,  I,  151;  II,  107 
Beaubien  family,  I,  151 
Becker,  Benjamin  V.,  V,  72 
Beckett,  Catherine  M.,  IV,  69 
Beckett,  John  B.,  IV,  69 
Beckwith,  Hiram  W.,  IV,  383 
Beckwith,  Walter  E.,  V,  75 
Beckwith,  William  H.,  IV,  422 
Bedford,  George,  V,  298 
Beebe,  William  L.,  IV,  300 
Beecher,  Howard  B.,  IV,  177 
Beecher,  R.  Edward,  III,  382 
Beekman,  Harry  E.,  V,  136 
Beekman,  J.  Colby,  V,  135 
Behan,  Louis  J.,  IV,  343 
Beimfohr,  Alfred  H.,  V,  182 
Bell,  Alexander  H.,  V,  172 
Bell,  Harry  E.,  VI,  28 
Bell,  Joseph  W.,  Ill,  87 
Bell,  Newton  E.,  V,  6 
Bell,  Thomas  Z.,  V,  139 
Bell,  W.  Hayden,  VI,  429 
Bellefontaine,  I,  406 
Belleville,  I,  408,  420;  III,  103 
Bemis,  Bertis  B.,  VI,  333 
Bencini,  Edward  L.,  V,  248 
Bennison,  William  H.,  Ill,  71 
Benson,  Joe  P.,  VI,  214 
Benz,  Adolph,  Jr.,  IV,  72 
Berra,  Humbert  A.,  V,  396 
Berry,  Roy  C,  V,  25 
Berry,  William  D.,  V,  64 


Besse,  Robert  W.,  IV,  162 

Best,  Don  J.,  IV,  211 

Best,  John  H.,  IV,  211 

Best  &  Sons,  John  H.,  IV,  211 

Beveridge,  John  L.,  Ill,  87,  161;  IV,  383 

Bierd,  William  G.,  VI,  82 

Bierer,  Frederick  G.,  V,  338 

Big  Bay  Creek  settlement,  I,  407 

Big  Muddy  River,  I,  407;  III,  428 

Big  Muddy  saline,  II,  196 

Big  Spring,  I,  406 

Biggs,  Henry  P.,  V,  407 

Biggs,  John  D.,  V,  408 

Biggs,  Oliver  S.,  IV,  292 

Biggs,  William,  I,  388,  404 

Bill  of  Rights,  I,  227,  350 

Billings,  Frank,   III,  363 

Biloxi,  founded,  I,  110 

Birkbeck,  Morris,  I,  448,  450;  II,  37; 
III,   179 

Birkett,   David   S.,  IV,   137 

Birr,  Bernard  J.,  IV,  424 

Birthplace  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  (illus- 
tration)  II,  390 

Bisch,  Harold  P.,  IV,  224 

Bissel,  George  A.,  VI,  280 

Bissell,  William  H.,  II,  383;  IV,  360 

Bitter  campaign,  A,  I,  40 

Bituminous  coal,  I,  38 

Black,  Jesse,   Jr.,   IV,   76 

Black,  John  C,  VI,  170 

Black,  John  W.,  IV,  197 

Black,  Robert,  VI,  113 

Black,  Willis  L.,  V,  374 

Black  Code,  I,  434 

Black  Hawk,  II,  110 

Black  Hawk  Trail,  near  Dixon,  (illustra- 
tion) II,  111 

Black  Hawk  War:  volunteers  for,  II,  121; 
army  organization,  127;  new  army, 
137;  Kellogg  Grove  Monument,  (illus- 
tration), 138;  orders  disobeyed,  143; 
noted  men  in,  150 

"Black  laws,"  III,  109 

Black  Partridge,  I,  282,  390 

Black  walnut  plantation,  Mason  County, 
(illustration)   III,  207 

Blackburn,  Lawrence  A.,  V,  264 

Blackstone,  Timothy  B.,  IV,  383 

Blackwell,  David,  II,  38 

Blair,  Chauncey  B.,  VI,  3 

Blair.  Francis  G.,  VI,  408 

Blair,  William  C,  VI,  147 

Blake,  Elizabeth  M.,  IV,  240 

Blake,  John  D.,  IV,  239 

Blanchard,  Israel,  III,  39 

Blane,  Frank  E.,  IV,  319 

Blane,  Hetty  J.,  V,  130 

Blane,  John  P.,  V,  129 

Blane,  Mary  A.  B.,  V,  130 

Blaney,  James  V.,  VI,  428 


XXVI 


INDEX 


Blanko,  Edward  C,  VI,  383 

Blatchford,  John  R.,  IV,  402 

Bliss,  Harold  J.,  IV,  216 

Block,  Nathan,  V,  133 

Blockhouses,  I,  260,  272 

Blodgett,  Albert  M.,  IV,  164 

Blodgett,  William  A.,  IV,  154 

"Bloody  shirt"  campaigning,  III,  156 

Bloomington,  III,  101 

Bloomington    Association    of   Commerce, 

VI,  390 
Bloomington  Convention,  1856,  II,  380 
Bloomington  Times,  III,  34 
Boeschenstein,  Charles,  IV,  14 
Boggs,  Berthold  L.,  V,  179 
Bohm,  Alvin  C,  V,  28 
Bohm,  William  H.,  V,  28 
Boisbriant,  (Lieut.),  I,  256,  384 
Boland,  Lee,  IV,  200 
Boiling,  George  W.,  V,  412 
Bolt,  Martin  G.,  IV,  325 
Bolton,   William  H.,  Ill,   89 
Bond,  Shadrach,  Sr.,  I,  371,  384;  II,  36, 

64;  III,  330,  377 
Bond,  Shadrach,  Jr.,  I,  293,  298 
Bond  County,  population  in  1818,  I,  343 
Bondurant,  Flint,  VI,  368 
Bonney,  Charles  C,  III,  250,  252 
Bonniwell,  Charles  A.,  V,  233 
Bonties,  John  F.,  IV,  293 
Bonus,  World  War,  III,  369 
Boone,  A.  R.,  V,  380 
Borbounnais  and  Kankakee,  I,  152 
Borgelt,  Leo  H.,  V,  99 
Borgsmiller,  Henry,  Jr.,  V,  329 
Borgsmiller,  Henry,  Sr.,  V,  328 
Borough,  Joseph,  I,  337 
Bostick,  John  W.,  V,  200 
Boswell,  Arlie  O.,  V,  213 
Boswell,  John  T.,  IV,  337 
Bottrell,  Joseph  D.,  IV,  184 
Bounty  Tract,  I,  433 
Bourland,  Frederick  B.,  IV,  55 
Bourland,  Ogden  P.,  V,  283 
Bouton,  Edward,  III,  88 
Bouton,  Hugh  E.,  VI,  43 
Bowen,  Esco  N.,  VI,  89 
Bowen,  Mrs.  Joseph  T.,  Ill,  363,  368 
Bowers,  Henry,  V,  144 
Bowling,  John  W.,  VI,  248 
Boyd,  George  W.,  VI,  309 
Boyd,  Hobart  S.,  V,  314 
Boyd,  Lawrence  J.,  V,  289 
Boyle,  Martin,  IV,  99 
Boys'  Corn   Club,    (illustration)   III,  216 
Bracken,  Thomas  H.,  V,  252 
Bracy,  Harry  W.,  VI,  116 
Bradbury,  John,  I,  372;  III,  376 
Bradbury,  Presley  G.,  VI,  228 
Bradley,  Loyd  M.,  V,  379 
Bradsby,  John,  I,  385 


Bradsby,  William  I    385 

Bradshaw,   Charles,  VI,  52 

Brainard,  Daniel,  IV,  354 

Brais,  Louis  J.,  VI,  302 

Brannan,  George  E.,  V,  156 

Brantingham,  Charles  S.,  V,  308 

Brass,  Edgar  E.,  V,  167 

Brass,  Ella  B.,  V,  167 

Brecher,  George,  IV,  67 

Breese,  Sidney,  II,  153,  341;  (illustra- 
tion),   343,    456 

Bremerman,  Lewis  W.,  VI,  161 

Brennecke,  H.  A.,  VI,  309 

Brewer,  Mason  P.,  IV,  156 

Brewster,  Guerdon  L.,  V,  225 

Brian,  Frederick,  IV,  288 

Brichler,  George  W.,  V,  58 

Brick  industry,  II,  86 

Bridges,  II,  313 

Bridges,  Lyman,  III,  90 

Bridges'  Battery,  Illinois  Artillery,  III, 
90 

Bridgman,  Henry  A.,  VI,  136 

British  claims,  I,  309 

British  control,  I,  154 

Brittain,  Joseph  K.,  IV,  339 

Brittin,  Albert  L.,  IV,  315 

Britton,  George  A.,  IV,  114 

Brock,  Francis  M.,  V,  188 

Brocket,  Albert  G.,  Ill,  86 

Bronson,  Stephen,  III,  82,  84 

Brookings,  Charles  M.,  VI,  190 

Brooks,  James  S.,  V,  383 

Brooks,  John  F.,  Ill,  118,  382 

Brooks,  Mary,  III,  118 

Brooks,  Robert  E.  L.,  V,  356 

Brown,  Antrim  C,  VI,  380 

Brown,  B.  Gratz,  III,  158 

Brown,  Columbus,  VI,  208 

Brown,  Edward  O.,  V,  262 

Brown,  Edwin  L.,  Ill,  235 

Brown,  Jesse  R.,  V,  111 

Brown,  John  E.,  VI,  351 

Brown,  John  J.,  V,  212 

Brown,  Lewis  E.,  IV,  62 

Brown,  Robert  E.,  V,  198 

Brown,  Stuart,  IV,  65 

Brown,  William  H.,  II,  39,  43 

Browne,  H.  Kingsbury,  IV,  413 

Browne,  Robert  B.,  V,  157 

Browne,  Thomas  C,  I,  386,  401;  II,  64 

Browning,  J.  Roy,  V,  238 

Browning,  John  W.,  V,  230 

Browning,  Orville  H.,  II,  154,  224,  478; 
III,  127 

Brownsville,  I,  407 

Brubaker,  Archibald  D.,  V,  272 

Brundage,  Edward  J.,  VI,  199 

Bruner,  Albert  M.,  IV,  233 

Bruner,  James  D.,  IV,  234 

Bryan,  Silas,  III,  128 


INDEX 


XXVll 


Bryan,  Thomas  B.,  Ill,  239 

Bryan,  William  Jennings,  birthplace  of, 

(illustration)    III,  128 
Bryant,  Guy  A.,  IV,  160 
Bryant,  William  C,  II,  475 
Bryner,  John,  III,  66 
Buchanan,  De  Witt  W.,  VI,  151 
Bucher,  Jacques  T.,  I,  215 
Buchhalter,  Isadore  L.,  VI,  185 
Buck,  Solon  J.,  Ill,  220 
Buckbee,  John  T.,  IV,  403 
Buckmaster,  Nathaniel,  II,   151 
Buckner,  Roy  A.,  IV,  386 
Buckwalter,  Clarence  J.,  VI,  374 
Budde,  Alford  E.,  V,  226 
Budget  system,  III,  297 
Buel  Institute,  III,  384 
Buffalo  Rock,  I,  258,  406 
Buford,  Napoleon  B.,  Ill,  61 
Building  stone,  I,  40 
Bullard,  Robert  I.,  IV,  17 
Bullard,  Samuel  A.,  IV,  65 
Bullock,   Frank   M.,  V,  272 
Bundy,  Samuel  H.,  Ill,  40 
Bunn,  Charles  E.,  IV,  74 
Bunn,  Jacob,  IV,  201 
Buntain,  C.  M.  Clay,  VI,  281 
Burchard,  Horatio  C,  IV,  383 
Burgess,  Hampton  S.,  V,  312 
Burgess,  Theodore  C,  VI,  354 
Burke,  Arthur  M.,  VI,  228 
Burke,  John,  V,  14 
Burke,  J.  J.,  IV,  185 
Burke,  Patrick  E.,  Ill,  69 
Burkhardt,  William  H.,  VI,  195 
Burkhart,    Carl,    VI,    208 
Burkhart,  James  M.,  VI,  207 
Burnett,  H.  Clinton,  VI,  428 
Burnett,  Rad,  V,  215 
Burnett,  Samuel  T.,  IV,  38 
Burnett,  William  E.,  VI,  214 
Burnham,  Albert  C,  VI,  12 
Burnham,  Daniel  H.,  Ill,  244 
Burnham,    Mae    W.,   VI,   14 
Burnham,    Robert    D.,    VI,    13 
Burnham  Atheneum,  The,  VI,  43 
Burnham  Family,  VI,  12 
Burns,  Frank  L.,  VI,  316 
Burnside,  Ambrose  E.,  Ill,  33 
Burrall,  Arthur,  IV,  255 
Burroughs,  Benjamin  R.,  V,  159 
Burson,  William  W.,  IV,  388 
Burson,  Wilson  W.,  IV,  388 
Burton,  Charles   S.,  IV,  296 
Bush,  Frank  N.,  VI,  419 
Busse,  Henry  E.,  V,  32 
Butler,  Walker,  VI,  105 
Butter,   III,    413 
Butterworth,  Benjamin,  III,  239 
Byus,   David  C,  V,  63 


Cable,  Ransom  R.,  IV,  384 
Cabrilliac,  Anthony  B.,  I,  13 
Cadwell,  George,  (illustration)  II,  13 
Cahokia,   capture   of,   I,   181;    court   rec- 
ords,  216,   233,   407;    carding   mill   at, 

447 
Cahokia  Creek,  I,  407 
Cahokia  Indians,  I,  49 
Cairns,  Caldwell,  I,  338 
Cairo,  I,  307,  407;  in  Civil  War,  III,  42, 

98 
Cairo  Bank  at  Kaskaskia,   (illustration) 

I,  441,  II,  250 
Cairo    Public    Library,   V,   254 
Cairo   Vandalia   Highway,   near   Cobden, 

(illustration)   II,  207 
Cairo    Weekly    Times    and    Delta,    1858, 

(facsimile)   II,  413 
Caldwell,  Charles  A.,  V,  121 
Caldwell,  Delia,  V,  379 
Calhoon,  Emery  E.,  VI,  350 
Calhoun,  N.  Curtis,  VI,  310 
Callahan,  Ethelbert,  VI,  258 
Callahan,  James  T.,  V,  377 
Calumet-Sag    Channel,    Drainage    Canal, 

(illustration)  III,  173 
Cameron,   Daniel  Jr.,   Ill,  69 
Cameron,  Glenn  J.,  IV,  168 
Cameron,  James  A.,  IV,  168 
Campaign  in   Illinois,   1872,   III,   161 
Campaign  of  1826,  II,  51,  55 
Campaign  of  1856,  II,  385 
Campaign  of  1860,  II,  482 
Campaign  of  1868,  III,  153,  217 
Camp,  George,  I,  404 
Camp,  Ichabod,  I,  404 
Camp  Butler,  III,  45 
Camp  Douglas,  III,  47 
Camp  Grant,  III,  348 
Camp   Russell,  I,   408 
Camps,  Civil  War,  III,  44 
Campbell,  A.   Courtney,  Jr.,  VI,  385 
Campbell,  Bruce  A.,  V,  84 
Campbell,  Delwin  M.,  VI,  135 
Campbell,  Fitz  J.,  VI,  344 
Campbell,  Herbert  J.,  VI,  73 
Campbell,  Howard  E.,  VI,  271 
Campbell,  James  R.,  VI,  128 
Campbell,  Lloyd  C,  VI,  120 
Campbell,  Valentine  B.,  VI,  128 
Canada,  relation  of  Illinois  to,  I,  59 
Canadian  contingent,  I,  373 
Canadian-French  settlers,  I,  373 
Canal  building,   II,  206 
Canal  commissioners,  II,  209,  240 
Canal  scrip  bill,  (illustration)  11,  237 
Canals,  III,  428,  454 
Candidates  for  governor,  1822,  II,  18 
Cannon,  Joseph     G.,     (illustration)     III, 

270;   IV,   7 
Cannon,  Vern  E.,  IV,  32 


XXV111 


INDEX 


Canopy,  Frank  E.,  IV,  82 

Capital,  agitation  to  move  from  Kaskas- 

kia,  I,  349;  moving  of,  437 
Capitol,  proposal  for  new,  III,  120 
Capitol,  Vandalia,  (illustration)  II,  255 
Capitol,   Springfield,  1857,   (illustration) 

II,   399 
Capron,  Horace,  III,  87 
Cardiff,  Grant,    IV,   221 
Cardiff,  Ida   M.,   IV,   221 
Cardiff,  Kelly  A.,  VI,  50 
Carding  mill,  Cahokia,  I,  447 
Carley,   Mark,   VI,   47 
Carlin,  Thomas,  I,  401;  II,  150,  234,  235 
Carlin,  William  H.,  Ill,  39 
Carlinville,  III,  101 
Carlson,  George  E.,  IV,  327 
Carlson,  Martin  R.,  IV,  158 
Carlson,  Victor   C,   V,   328 
Carlyle,  I,  419 

Carmichael,  Wilbur  J.,  VI,  77 
Carnovale,   Luigi,  VI,  372 
Carpenter,  Benjamin,  VI,  267 
Carpenter,  Milton,  II,  224 
Carr,  Clark  E.,  Ill,  12;   (illustration)  13 
Carr,  Eugene  A.,   Ill,   85 
Carriel,  Henry  F.,  IV,  384 
Carrington,  William  E.,  VI,  160 
Carroll,  Augusta  S,  IV,  232 
Carroll,  Charles,  II,  189,  202 
Carroll,  Charles  V.  B.,  IV,  232 
Carrollton,  I,  420 
Carter,  Albert  R.,  V,  346 
Carter,  Orin,  III,  333 
Cartier,  James,  I,  63 
Cartier,    Octave   J.,   VI,   284 
Cartwright,  James  H.,  Ill,  337;  VI,  16 
Cartwright,  Peter,    I,   368;    II,    87,    150, 

303;    (illustration),   III,   113 
Cascasquias,  I,  160 
Case,  Charles   C,  VI,   408 
Casey,   Earl  C,  VI,   286 
Casey,  Thomas  S.,  Ill,  77 
Casey,  Zadoc,  I,  385;  II,  66,  155,  330 
Cass,  Lewis,  II,  156 

Castle  Rock,  Dixon,  (illustration)   II,  61 
Caswell,   Henry,  II,  290 
Catalpa  plantation,  (illustration)  II,  214 
Caton,  John  D.,  IV,  356 
Caudle,  Charles  B.,  VI,  88 
Causey,  Walter  G.,  IV,  38 
Cavalry  organizations,  III,  84 
Cavanaugh,  Thomas  H.,  Ill,  85 
Cavell,  Edith,  III,  321 
Celebration    of    Independence   Day,   first 

west  of  Ohio  River,  I,  229 
Cenozoic    Era,   I,    11 
Centennial  Building,  III,  338 
Centennial  Commission,  III,  233,  337 
Centennial  Exposition,    III,    234 


Centennial  Memorial  Building,  (illus- 
tration)   III,    300 

Centennial  of  Independence,  III,  232 

Center,  Charles  D.,  V,  95 

Center  Presbytery  of  Illinois,  II,  88 

Centers  of  population,  I,  266;  of  settle- 
ment, 381 

Central  Illinois  Gazette,  II,  478 

Cerre,  Gabriel,    I,    258 

Cerre,  John  G.,  I,  399 

Chafee,  George  D.,  VI,  340 

Chamness,  Clyde  J.,  V,  378 

Champaign  National  Bank,  VI,  63 

Champaign  Public  Library,  VI,  43 

Champion,  Thomas  E.,  Ill,  75 

Champlain,  Father  of  New  France,  I,  62 

Chancellor,  Justus,  VI,  10 

Chanute   Field,   III,   348 

Chapline,   Jesse    G.,   VI,   381 

Chapman,  Fletcher  H.,  Ill,  90 

Charities,  III,  430 

Charles,  Arthur  W.,  VI,  200 

Charleston  Convention,  1860,   II,   476 

Charleston  Debate,   II,   414 

Charnwood,  Lord,  III,  335 

Chartering  of  banks,  II,  91 

Chase,  Philander,   IV,  385 

Chase,  Salmon  P.,  II,  373,  484 

Cheese,   III,   413 

Cheney,  John   T.,  Ill,  88 

Chicago:  varied  spelling  of  word,  I,  124; 
prospective  city  of,  333,  419;  early  his- 
tory of,  II,  98;  name,  98;  winter  of 
1674-5,  99;  first  citizen,  100;  first  wed- 
ding, 101;  city  in  1812,  101;  in  1831, 
(illustration)  102;  Fort  Dearborn,  103; 
fur  trading,  104;  treaty  congress,  105; 
laid  out  in  town  lots,  105;  growth  of, 
105;  business  center,  353;  1860,  480; 
greatest  grain  port,  III,  208;  World's 
Columbian  Exposition,  235;  Centennial 
celebration,  336 

Chicago  Board  of  Trade  Battery,  Illinois 
Artillery,  III,  89 

Chicago  Board  of  Trade  Regiment,  III, 
70 

Chicago  convention,  1860,  II,  482 

Chicago  Drainage  Canal,  III,  428 

Chicago  fire,  1871,  III,  164;  legislative 
action   following,    176 

Chicago  Interstate  Exposition,  III,  235 

Chicago  Mercantile  Battery,  Illinois  Ar- 
tillery, III,  89 

Chicago  River,  II,  104 

Chicago  Sanitary  District  (illustrations) 
III,  173 

Chicago  Temple,   (illustration)   III,  419 

Chicago  Times,  suppressed,  III,  32 

Chicago  Tribune,   II,   478 

Chickasa  War,  I,  129 

Childress,  Edmund  H.,  V,   190 


INDEX 


XXIX 


Chiperfield,  Burnett  M.,  V,  315 

Choisser,  Carl,  VI,  173 

Choisser,  Robert  E.,  VI,  180 

Choisser,  William  V.,  VI,  180 

Chouteau,  Auguste,  II,  156 

Christian,  Fay  F.,  V,  275 

Christopher,    John,    III,    74 

Church,  Lawrence  S.,  Ill,  75 

Church,  Ralph  E.,  V,  265 

Church  of  St.  Anne,  II,  90 

Churches:  I,  260,  366;  stand  on  slavery 
question,   II,  44,  86;    III,  433 

Churchill,  George,   II,  38 

Chynoweth,  William  C,  IV,  40 

Cincinnati   Convention,  III,   159 

Cities,  growth  of,  III,  97 

Citizens  State  Bank,  VI,  228 

City  High  Schools,  III,  393 

City  of  Far  West,  II,  275 

City  schools,    III,    389 

Civil  administration,  Illinois  Territory, 
I,  301 

Civil  Administrative   Code,   III,   291 

Civil  government,   I,   186 

Civil  organization,   1818,  I,  427 

Civil  War:  Illinois  in,  III,  10;  first 
troops,  10;  defense  of  Cairo,  10;  end 
of  1861,  22;  newspaper  influences,  32; 
women's  help,  36;  Yates  at  Shiloh,  36; 
State  Sanitary  Bureau,  37;  "The 
American  Bastile,"  38;  Cairo  and 
Mound  City,  42;  gunboats,  43;  mortar 
boats,  44;  camps  and  prisons,  45;  a 
conspiracy,  47;  politics  during  1864, 
50;  91;  recuperation,  91 

Civil  War  soldier,   (illustration),  III,  46 

Clark,  Edward  E.,  V,  62 

Clark,  Elmer   E.,   IV,   44 

Clark,  Fletcher   F.,   V,   334 

Clark,  Francis,  I,  371;   III,  376 

Clark,  George  Rogers:  I,  148;  conquest 
of  Illinois,  169,  170;  (illustration),  171; 
instructions  to,  173;  expedition  down 
the  Ohio,  175;  march  across  Southern 
Illinois,  177;  capture  of  Kaskaskia, 
180;  capture  of  Cahokia,  181;  Vin- 
cennes  surrendered,  182;  attack  on 
Vincennes,  191;  surrender  of  Vin- 
cennes,  193;  385;  III,  375 

Clark,  John,    I,    371,   387 

Clark,  Samuel   P.,   IV,    101 

Clark,  Sheldon,   VI,   138 

Clarke,   Elam   L.,   VI,   318 

Clary,  George  P.,  V,  151 

Clausen,  Henry  O.,  V,  358 

Clay,  Cassius    M.,    II,   484 

Clay  products,  I,  40 

Clayton,  John   H.,   VI,    116 

Clayton,  John  W.,  VI,  118 

Cleary,  John  J.,  VI,  282 


Cleaveland,   Harry   H.,    IV,   389 

Clements,  Charles  F.,  IV,  94 

Clements,  Louis,  IV,  419 

Clendenen,  Taylor  C,  IV,  418 

Clendenin,  Henry  W.,  IV,  204 

Clerk,  Frederick  E.,  VI,  233 

Cleveland,   Grover,   III,   254 

Climate,  I,  36 

Clinch,  Walter  A.,  IV,  54 

Cline,    Phil,   V,   344 

Clippinger,  Roy,  VI,  246 

Clothier,  Charles  R.,  V,  215 

Clothing  industries,  III,  416 

Cloud,   Newton,   II,  224 

Coal:  I,  15;  38;  pioneer  mining,  II,  85; 

III,  420 
Cochran,  William  G.,  VI,  83 
Coddington,  Eugene  S.,  VI,  212 
Cogswell,    William,    III,   89 
Cogswell's  Battery,  Illinois  Artillery,  III 

89 

Cohn,   Eugene,   V,   212 

Cohrs,  Walter  L.,  V,  133 

Colborn,  Byron  C,  IV,  46 

Coleman,  James  E.,  V,  317 

Coler,   William   N.,   Ill,   61 

Coles,  Edward,  II,  19;   (illustration)  21; 

message  of,  25;  37;  65;  III,  179 
Coliseum  Building  Corporation,  VI,  87 
College  and  seminary  funds,  III,  185 
Colleges,  II,  301 
Collier,  John  S.,  VI,  305 
Collins,  Chester  E.,  VI,  337 
Colonial  population,  in  1760,  I,  217 
Colvin,  Jay  A.,  VI,  108 
Colvin,  John  H.,  Ill,  90 
Colvin's  Battery,  Illinois  Artillery,  III,  90 
Commerce:     Illinois    Territory,    I,    365; 

early,  422;  1830,  II,  75;  298 
Commissioners  of  public  works,  II,  231 
"Common   School  Convention",  Chicago, 

1846,  III,  383 
Community  High  School,  Carbondale,  V, 

380 
Community  High  Schools,  III,  394 
Compromise   of  1850,  II,  364 
Compton,  Charles  W.,  IV,  222 
Compton,  Levi,  I,  337 
Conaghan,  Edward  T.,  IV,  81 
Condon,  Frank  D.,  V,  300 
Congress  at  St.  Mary's,  I,  67 
Congressional  townships,  I,  221 
Conner,    Ephraim,   I,   386 
Connole,  Henry,  IV,  427 
Connole,  Martha  L.,  V,  60 
Connors,  Matthew  S.,  V,  8 
Conquest  of  Illinois,  Clark's,  I,  169 
Conser,  William  H.,  IV,   139 
Consolidation  of  schools,   III,  392 


XXX 


INDEX 


Constitutions:  of  1848,  II,  323;  not  sub- 
mitted, 323;  of  1848,  ratification,  337; 
of  1848,  Article  X,  Section  5,  354; 
of  1818,  III,  122;  of  1870,  122;  of  1848, 
123;  of  1870,  124;  provisions  of,  131; 
of  1870,  219;  celebration  of  adoption 
of,  330 

Constitutional  Conventions;  of  1818,  I, 
342;  II,  193;  of  1848,  members  of, 
327;  of  1862,  III,  24;  call  for,  1867, 
124;  delegates  to,  1869-70,  125;  or- 
ganization of,  1869-70,  129 

Controversy  with  St.  Louis,  II,  346 

"Convention  or  Death",  war  cry,  II,  31 

Coventry,  John  W.,  IV,  334 

Converse,  William  O.,  IV,  40 

Conway,  James  R.,  IV,  169 

Conzelman,   William  J.,  IV,  429 

Cook,  Burton  C,  IV,  383 

Cook,  Daniel  P.,  I,  316,  401,  II,  38,  44, 
56,  63 

Cook,  John,  III,  57 

Cook,  Marion  C,  V,  360 

Cook,  Robert  T.,  V,  207 

Cook  County:  first  election  in,  1832,  II, 
107;  courts,  HI,  144 

Cooke,  George  A.,  IV,  339 

Cooper,  Jabas  F.,  IV,  267 

Cooper  Union  speech,  II,  474 

Cooperative  buying,  III,  223;  marketing, 
228;  store,  227 

Cope,  William  A.,  VI,  225 

Corboy,  William  J.,  V,  17 

Corley,  Dewitt  C,  IV,  183 

Corn,  seed,  III,  358 

Corn  Belt,  I,  22 

Corn  field    (illustration),  III,  208 

Corn  planter,  III,  194 

Corporations,  III,  204 

Costello,  Mark  P.,  IV,  184 

Cotton,  I,  447 

Cottonwood  plantation,  Whiteside  Coun- 
ty   (illustration),   III,   207 

Coultas,  Irwin  F.,  VI,  202 

Council  of  National  Defense,  III,  359, 
362 

Counties:  organized,  I,  232;  Illinois  Ter- 
ritory, 299;  in  Illinois,  1818  (map), 
328;  new,  II,  80;  organization  and 
population  (map),  83 

County  celebrations,  Illinois  Centennial 
Anniversary,  III,  305 

County  courts,  III,  144 

County  of  Illinois,  created,  I,  203 

County   school   superintendents,   III,  390 

Courier-News  Publishing  Company,  VI, 
327 

Court  decisions,  II,  11 

Courts;  established,  I,  158;  II,  58;  III, 
143 

Cousley,  Paul  B.,  V,  8 


Coventry,  John  W.,  IV,  334 
Coventry,  Sarah,  IV,  335 
Cowburn,  Walter,  IV,  298 
Crabb,  J.  Warren,  IV,  89 
Crafts,  John,  II,   104 
Craig,   Alfred   M.,  IV,   407 
Craig,  Charles  C,  IV,  408 
Craig,   Phil  A.,  VI,  106 
Craig,  Thomas  E.,  I,  285,  388 
Crawford,  Charles  C,  V,  209 
Crawford,  Walter  B.,  VI,  164 
Crawford  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 

343 
Creal   Springs  College,  VI,  271 
Cream,  III,  413 
Crebs,   John    M.,   VI,    192 
Credit  Mobilier,  III,  158 
Cregier,  Clinton  D.,  III.  259 
Cregier,  DeWitt  C,  III,  238 
Crerar,   John,   V,   429 
Crevecoeur,  I,  89 
Crittenden  Compromise,  II,  488 
Croghan,    Colonel,    I,    144 
Cromwell,  Ray  R.,  IV,  28 
Crops,  III,  414 
Cross,  John  A.,  VI,  398 
Cross,  John   E.,   V,   269 
Crossman,  George  W.,  V,  264 
Crow,  Lewis  M.,  V,  344 
Crozat;    Louisiana    granted    to,    I,    112; 

256 
Crozier,  Ray,  IV,  33 
Culbertson,  Frederick  D.,  V,  119 
Culbertson,    Samuel   E.,   VI,   86 
Culbertson,  William  J.,  IV,  58 
Cullinane,  Alexander  D.,  VI,  152 
Cullom,  Edward  N.,  I,  338 
Cullom,  Richard,  II,  224 
Cullom,  Shelby  M.,  Ill,  12;  (illustration) 

155;  IV,  369 
Culver,  John  H.,  IV,  176 
Culver,   Morton  T.,  V,  31 
Cumming,  Gilbert  W.,  Ill,  67 
Cunningham,  Frank  S.,  VI,  133 
Cunningham,  Oliver  B.,  VI,  133 
Curtis,   John,   III,   83 
Cushing,  Charles  W.,  IV,  47 
Cushing,  Lena  O.,  IV,  47 
Cushman,  William  H.  W.,  Ill,  67 
Custer,  Omer  N.,  V,  395 
Cutler,   Manassah,   I,   224 
Cutler,  Reed  F.,  IV,  399 
Cyclone,  III,  403 
Cyclonic  storms,  I,  37 

Dablon,  Claude  J.,  I,  70 

Daggett,  Arthur  W.,  VI,  194 

Dahlberg,  Gotthard  A.,  IV,  331 

Dahle,  Andrew,  VI,  324 

Daily,  Whitson  W.,  VI,  124 

Daily  Pantagraph,  Bloomington,  V,  267 


INDEX 


XXXI 


Dairy  farm   (illustration),  III,  413 

Dairy  farming,   III,   200 

Dames,  Fred  C,  VI,  290 

Daniel-Graves,  Harriett  M.,  VI,  400 

Daniels,  Josephus,  III,  334 

"Danite  Band",  II,  274 

Dannenberg,  W.   C,   IV,   281 

Darrow,  Clarence  S.,  VI,  19 

Darrow,  Nathan,  I,  370 

D'Artaguiette,  Pierre,  I,  129 

Dasher,   Edwin  H.,   IV,  234 

Daumont,  Simon  F.,  I,  67 

David,  Joseph  B.,  VI,  204 

Davidson,  Peter,  III,  82,  88 

Davis,  Charles  A.,  IV,  112 

Davis,  David,  II,  332,  478;  III,  159;  VI, 
137 

Davis,  Homer  H.,  V,  403 

Davis,  Jefferson,  II,  151,  312 

Davis,  John  A.,  Ill,   66 

Davis,  Lawrence  A.,  V,  49 

Davis,  Levi,  IV,  374 

Davis,  Nathan  S.,  IV,  353 

Davis,    Ralph   C,   V,   220 

Davis,  Uriah  C,  V,  219 

Davis,  U.  C.  &  Sons,  V,  219 

Davis,  William  B.,  V,  120 

Davis,  William  C,  V,  220 

Davis,  William  F.,  IV,  113 

Davis,  William  O.,  V,  267 

Dawson,   Roy,   IV,    184 

Dawson  &   Wikoff,   IV,   184 

Day,  Henry  M.,  Ill,  74 

Day,   Warren  W.,  IV,  277 

Deal,  Don  W.,  IV,  91 

Dean,  Earl  D.,  V,  321 

Dean,  Henry  W.,  Ill,  83 

Dean,  J.  Clarke,  V,  128 

Deatherage,   William  W.,   IV,   243 

Decatur,  III,  100 

Decatur  Free  Public  Library,  IV,  190 

Deck,  Jesse  L.,  IV,  206 

Declaration  of  Rights,  II,  336 

Deere,  Charles  H.,  Ill,  233 

Deere,  John,  IV,  397 

Dehn,  George  J.,  IV,  380 

De  la  Balme,  expedition  of,  I,  206 

Delegates  to  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1818,  I,  333 

De  Long,  Herman  R.,  VI,  48 

Dement,  John,  II,  224,  332;  III,  127 

Democratic  Legislature,  1863,  III,   26 

Democratic  National  Conventions;  1840, 
II,  260;   1864,  III,  53 

Democratic  State  Conventions;  1858,  II, 
397;  1864,  III,  52;  1870,  157 

Democrats,  II,  251;  in  1856,  385 

Demos,  Paul,  VI,  158 

Dempsey,  H.  C,  IV,  181 

Deneen,  Charles  S.,  Ill,  285;  VI,  354 


Denison,  Raymond  R.,  VI,  250 

Dennis,  Elias  S.,  Ill,  62 

Dennis,  Herbert  R.,  IV,  98 

Department  of  Agriculture,  III,  184,  291, 
294 

Department  of  Finance,  III,  291,  294 

Department  of  Labor,  III,  292,  294 

Department  of  Mines  and  Minerals,  III, 
292    295 

Department  of  Public  Health,  III,  292 

Department  of  Public  Welfare,  III,  292, 
295 

Department  of  Public  Works  and  Build- 
ings,  III,  292,   295 

Department  of  Registration  and  Educa- 
tion,  III,   293,   297 

Department  of  Trade  and  Commerce, 
III,  293,  296 

De  Rocheblave,  Chevalier,  I,  257 

DeSoto,  III,  404 

Detroit,  loss  of,  1812,  I,  278 

Detweiller,   Henry,   IV,   223 

Detweiller,  Thomas  H.,  IV,  223 

De   Villiers,   Neyon,  I,  257 

Dewey,   George  F.,  VI,  265 

Dewey,  John  M.,  VI,  272 

Dewey,  William  S.,  VI,  57 

DeWitt,  John  C,  VI,  264 

DeWolf,  Edward  P.,  IV,  391 

Dibbern,  Charles  H.,  IV,  115 

dTberville,  Sieur  le  Moyne,  I,  110 

Dickey,  T.  Lyle,  III,  85 

Dickson,  William  C,  VI,  40 

Diggs,  James  L.,  VI,  278 

Dill,  Minnie  A.,  IV,  190 

Dillehunt,  Samuel  B.,  IV,  241 

Diller,  Adam  E.,  VI,  312 

Diller,  Harold  F.,  IV,  30 

Dillman,  John  V.,  V,  170 

Dillon,  Nathan,  II,  96 

Director  of  Agriculture,  III,  359 

"Discovery  and  Conquest  of  the  North- 
west with  the  History  of  Chicago", 
II,  98 

Discovery  of  Mississippi  River,  I,  70 

District  of  Louisiana,  I,  248 

Dodds,  Fred   C,  IV,  209 

Dodds,  Joseph  C,  VI,  58 

Dodge,  Henry,  II,  157 

Dodge,  John,  I,  404 

Doerfler,  William  J.,  IV,  220. 

Dolbee,  Harriet,  VI,  326 

Dolbee,  Shadrach  R.,  VI,  326 

Dollear,  Albert  H.,  VI,  362 

Dollins,  James  L.,  Ill,  72 

Domestic    animals,   III,   412 

Dominican  Sisters  of  Illinois,  IV,  33 

Donley,  Lee  E.,  V,  125 

Donovan,  Harold  A.,  V,  60 

Dooley,  James   B.,   IV,   163 


XXX11 


INDEX 


Doren,  Frank,  IV,  285 

Dormand,  William  L.,  V,  281 

Dougherty,   Henry,   III,   60 

Dougherty,  John,   II,   224 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  II,  226,  261,  366, 
367,  388;  (illustration),  389;  birth- 
place of  (illustration),  390;  401;  in 
the  South,  469;  477;  in  campaign,  I860, 
485;   III,   11,   334,  382 

Douglas  democrats,  II,  398 

Dow,  Robert  W.,  VI,  427 

Dowdell,   Nathan  H.,  V,   340 

Dowell,  George  W.,  VI,  184 

Doyle,  Cornelius  J.,  IV,  21 

Doyle,  John,  I,  383,  404 

Dred  Scott  Decision,  II,  393,  394 

Dresser,  Jasper   M.,  Ill,   88 

DuBois,  Hervey   A.,  IV,   363 

Dubois,  Jesse  K.,  II,  224,  359,  478;  III, 
50 

Dueling,  I,  252 

Dufault,  Peter  B.,  VI,  268 

Duff,  Andrew  D.,  Ill,  40 

Duffy,  Frank  T.,  V,  13 

Dulaney,  Harry  B.,  VI,  269 

Dulaney,  Robert  L.,  VI,  269 

Dunas,  Arthur,  VI,  262 

Dunbar,  Edwin  F.,   IV,   184 

Duncan,  Harvey  E.,  VI,  245 

Duncan,  Joseph,  I,  386,  416;  II,  56,  64, 
154,  204;  inaugural  message,  1834,  218; 
special  message,  222;  IV,  384 

Duncan,  Mathew,  I,  381 

Duncan    law,    III,    379 

Dunkelberg,  Louis  P.,  IV,  100 

Dunlap,  Charles  R.,  VI,  350 

Dunlea,  Almira,  IV,  39 

Dunlea,  James  T.,  IV,  39 

Dunn,  Robert  W.,  IV,  403 

Dunnan,  J.  Wallace,  VI,  240 

Dunne,  Edward  G.,  Ill,  313;  VI,  427 

Dunnegan,  James  E.,  V,  103 

Durfee,  Charles,  VI,  97 

Durkee,  William  H.,  IV,  259 

Dusenbury,  Roy  F.,  VI,  280 

Dustin,  Daniel,  III,  77 

Dwver,  Joseph  R.,  IV,  319 

Dyrenforth,  William  H.,  IV,  271 

Dyrenforth    Family,    IV,    270 

Eagleton,  John  C,  VI,   230 

Earl  of  Dunmore,  I,  169 

Early  day  dwelling  (illustration),  I,  360 

Early   social   decline,  I,  204 

Early  society  in  Illinois,  I,  373 

Early   transportation  routes,   I,   364 

East,  Clarence  W.,  IV,  49 

East  St.  Louis,  III,  103 

Easterly,  H.   Gatewood,  V,  338 

Eckhard,  E.  J.,  IV,  344 

Eckols,  William,  I,  339 


Economic  conditions,  pioneer,  I,  359 

Economic  expansion,  II,  11 

Economy,  III,  287 

Eddleman,   William   M.,  V,  189 

Eddy,  Henry  (illustration),  II,  27,  39,  151 

Eden,  John  R.,  Ill,  153;  IV,  361 

Edgar,    John,    I,   261,   383 

Editors'    convention,    1855,    II,    378 

Edmonds,  Thomas   M.,  VI,  220 

Edmonson,   George   S.,  IV,   212 

Edmunds,    Palmer   D.,   IV,   347 

Edsull,  James  K.,  Ill,  161 

Education:  I,  370;  pioneer,  415;  public 
school  system,  1824,  417;  free  schools 
created  1825,  II,  95;  300;  III,  115,  145; 
college  and  seminary  funds,  185;  pri- 
vate or  state  school,  188,  371;  English 
ideals,  371;  first  schools,  372;  "log 
colleges",  372;  basis  of  system,  375; 
first  university,  376;  free  schools,  378; 
primitive  schoolhouses,  380;  progress 
of  education,  382;  teachers'  institutes, 
383;  school  law  of  1855,  386;  first  nor- 
mal school,  386;  establishment  of  state 
university,  386;  elementary  schools, 
387;  revenues,  388;  rural  schools,  388; 
city  schools,  389;  county  superintend- 
ents, 390;  buildings,  391;  courses  of 
study,  391;  high  schools,  392;  teach- 
ers' colleges,  396;  rural  practice  teach-, 
ing,  399;  state  university,  400 

Education   Department,  III,  293,  297 

Edwards,   Arthur,   IV,   385 

Edwards,  Claire  C,  V,  175 

Edwards,  Cyrus,  II,  224,  234;  IV,  384 

Edwards,  Ninian,  I,  263;  invades  enemy's 
country,  285;  (illustration)  315;  387; 
compromise,  1824,  II,  52;  57,  63,  224 

Edwards,  Richard,  IV,  384 

Edwards,  Russell  H.,  V,  176 

Edwards  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343 

"Edwards  Papers",  I,  263 

Edwardsville,  I,  420 

Edwardsville  Public  Library,  IV,  335; 
land  offices,  441 

Eeck,  John  F.,  V,  15 

Efficiency   and   economy,   III,   287 

Egan,  Edward  F.,  IV,  222 

Eggler,   August   B.,   V,   173 

Ehrhardt,    Simon,    IV,   59 

Eichler,  Theodore  F.,  VI,  324 

Einbeck,  Hannah,  VI,  303 

Elble,  John,  V,  7 

Elder,  Elmer  R.,  IV,  222 

Elections:  general,  1824,  II,  74;  1842, 
241;  1824,  253;  of  1860,  vote  statistics, 
486 

Electrical  machinery,  III,  416 

Elementary   schools,   III,   387 


INDEX 


XXXlll 


Elgin,  III,  100 

Elgin  Daily  News,  V,  374 

Ellicott,  Edward  B.,  IV,  317 

Elliff,  John  T.,  IV,  138 

Elliott,   Cornelius,  II,  194 

Elliott,  George,  II,  194 

Elliott,  James  H.,  VI,  117 

Ellis,  Ira  W.,  V,  331 

Ellis,  James  J.,  VI,  226 

Ellis,  John  M.,  II,  303 

Elmore,  Howard  W.,  IV,  127 

Elmore,  Kenneth  A.,  V,  116 

Elvirade,  I,  406 

Ely,  John  H.,  IV,  297 

Emancipation   Proclamation,   III,   28 

Embarrass  River,  I.  406 

Emory,  James  S.,  II,  383 

Enabling  Act,  I,  321;  consideration  of, 
329;  features  of,  330;  signed  by  the 
President,  332;  commercial  possibili- 
ties, 332;  1818,  III,  323;  of  Illinois, 
375 

Engbring,  William  H.,  VI,  293 

English  and  French  contrasted,  I,  60 

English   Prairie    Settlement,   I,   421 

English  soldiers,  in  French  villages,  I, 
205 

Enoch,  Clyde  M.,  VI,  370 

Equality,  salt  works,  illustration  of  pipe 
used  in,  II,   189 

Erickson,    Ole,   IV,  386 

Erickson   Dry   Goods   Company,  IV,  386 

Erickson,  W.  B.,  IV,  386 

Ernest,  Ferdinand,  I,  424 

Eroded  field,  formerly  in  trees,  Carroll 
County    (illustration),  III,  207 

Eschmann,  Charles  J.,  V,  171 

Essington,   Thurlow  G.,  VI,  74 

Estes,  Clinton  J.,  VI,  213 

Etchison,  John  M.,  V,  177 

Ethell,   Elmer  E.,  V,   110 

Etherton,  James  M.,  IV,  411 

Etnyre,  Edward  D.,  V,  187 

Etnyre,  E.  D.  &  Company,  V,  187 

Ettelson,   Samuel  A.,  IV,  284 

Evans,  Alice  G.,  IV,  189 

Evans,  Francis  M.,  IV,  147 

Evans,  Frank  N.,  IV,  213 

Evans,  Fred  E.,  VI,  307 

Evans,  H.   Leroy,  VI,  171 

Evans,  Henry  C,  V,  63 

Evans,  J.  Clyde,  IV,  23 

Evarista,  M.,  IV,  415 

Evers,  Edward  A.,  V,  369 

Ewing,  Adlai  T.,  Ill,  233 

Ewing,  Charles  H.,  VI,  15 

Ewing,  William  L.  D.,  II,  154,  224 

Exemptions,  homestead,  II,  345;  World 
war,  III,  346 


Expeditions:  into  Central  Illinois,  1812, 

I,  Lewis  and  Clark,  403 
Expositor,  The,  II,  282 

Factories,   distribution  of,  III,  417 

Fairbank,  Nathaniel  K.,  VI,  268 

Fairchild,  Raymond  W.,  V,  221 

Fairview  Spar  Mine,  Rosiclare  (illus- 
tration), I,  39 

Fairweather,   William   C,   VI,   209 

Falling  Springs,  I,  261,  406 

Fanning,  G.   Carroll,  VI,  137 

Farber,  Rudolph,  V,  190 

Farm  advisor,   III,   359 

Farm  Bureau,  III,  409 

Farm  implements,  III,  95 

Farmer  City  Public  Library,  IV,  26 

Farmers,  pioneer,  II,  296;  in  business 
and  politics,  III,  204;  social  and  in- 
tellectual status,  212;  Grange,  214; 
State  Association,  215;  corn  clubs, 
216;  as  business  men,  223;  intellec- 
tual development,  230 

Farmers'  Institutes,  III,  361 

Farming,  better,  III,  179;  improvements 
in,  192;  dairy,  200;  414 

Farms,   II,   12 

Farnsworth,  John  F.,  Ill,  86;  IV,  359 

Farrar,   George   W.,   IV,   318 

Farris,  George  K.,  VI,  275 

Farrow,  David  T.,  IV,  183 

Farwell,  John  V.,  IV,  355 

Faulkner,  Harry,  VI,  55 

Faulkner,  John  J.,  V,  428 

Fawcett,  Harry  J.,  VI,   110 

Federal  census  of  1800,  I,  245 

Federal  Constitution,  Fourteenth  Amend- 
ment to,  III,  120 

Feehan,  Patrick  A.,  IV,  390 

Fell,  Jesse  W.,  II,  478;  V,  334 

Felt,  Anna  E.,  IV,  397 

Fenton,  Raymond  J.,  VI,  288 

Ferguson,  Edward  C,  IV,  343 

Ferguson,  Hamlet,  I,  338 

Ferrell,    Mike,   VI,   227 

Ferriss,  James  H.,  V,  422 

Fessant,   Francis  J.,  VI,   136 

Feuchter,  Frederick  A.,  IV,  92 

Ficklin,  Orlando  B.,  IV,  390 

Field,  Alexander  P.,  II,  35,  66 

Field,  David  D.,  II,  475 

Field,   Eugene,   IV,   370 

Field,  Marshall  (illustration),  III,  260; 
IV,  354 

Fieldbrave,  Alfred,  IV,  243 

Fifer,  Joe,   III,  312 

Fifer,  Joseph  W.,  IV,  394 

Filson,  James  E.,  VI,  64 

Finance  Department,  III,  291,  294 

Financial  difficulties,  1842-45,  II,  245 


XXXIV 


INDEX 


Finch,  Eleazer  C,  VI,  418 

Finley,  John  E.,  I,  368 

Finneran,  Martin  H.,  V,  235 

First  Chicago  Board  of  Trade  Regiment, 

III,  70 
First  Kaskaskia,  I,  109 
First   Normal   School   Building,   Normal 

(illustration),  III,   117 
First  United  States  bank,  II,  10 
Fischer,  John  B.,  VI,  345 
Fish,  Charles  M.,  V,  322 
Fish  supply,  I,  44 
Fish  and  game  preserves   (illustration), 

II    233 
Fisher,  Charles  L.,  VI,  381 
Fisher,  George,  I,  336,  397 
Fisher,  Harry  M.,  V,  150 
Fisher,  Jack,  III,  31 
Fishing,  I,  30 
Fitch,  Joel  C,  V,  405 
Fithian,  John  B.,  VI,  282 
Fitzgerald,  Peter,  VI,  240 
Flat  boat,  I,  411 
"Flatheads",  II,  308 
Flax,  I,  448 

Fleming,  John  W.  A.,  V,  187 
Flenniken,  Wilson  E.,  IV,  195 
Fletcher,  Hubert  H.,  VI,  140 
Fletcher,  James,  V,  147 
Flint,  Axel,  V,  407 
Flint,  Thomas,  V,  396 
Flint,  Timothy,  I,  412 
Floods,  III,  428 
Flour,  III,  416 
Flynn,  Thomas  P.,  V,  331 
Fodder,  III,  195 
Foley,  John  C,  V,  301 
Folsom,  Richard  S.,  V,  32 
Fonda,  John  D.,  Ill,  79 
Food  conservation,  World  war,  III,  355 
Ford,  Thomas,  II,  150,  242 
Foreman,    Abner    W.,   VI,    149 
Foreman,  Adelaide  R.,  VI,  150 
Forester,  Frederick  L.,  VI,  191 
Forester,  John,  VI,  191 
Forestry   (illustrations),  II,  214;    (illus- 
trations)  III,  207 
Forests,  I,  41 

Forquer,   George,    II,   39,   65 
Forsyth,  Thomas,  I,  402 
Fort,  Greenbury  L.,  IV,  390      . 
Fort  Chartres,  I,  118;  (illustration)  119, 

134,    161;     abandoned,    164;     (outline 

plan)  165 
Fort  Chartres  Magazine  (illustration)  I. 

135 
Fort    Dearborn    (illustration),    II,    102* 

new,  103;  marker,  104 
Fort  Dearborn  massacre,  I,  280 
Fort  Frontenac,  I,  81 
Fort  Gage,  I,  257 


Fort  Massac,  I,  116,  273,  406;  entrance, 
(illustration)  II,  61 

Fort  Miami,  I,  134 

Fort  Necessity,  I,  134 

Fort  Russell,  I,  408 

Fort  St.  Louis,  I,  101;  Tonti  alone  at, 
104;  site  of,  258 

Forts,  I,  260,  272 

Foster,  Charles  K.,  V,  80 

Foster,  Isaac  A.,  VI,  187 

Foster,  William  M.  C,    V,  131 

Fountain  Creek,  I,  406 

Fourteenth  amendment  to  Federal  Con- 
stitution, III,  120 

Fowler,  J.  Henry,  IV,  385 

Fowler,  Richmond  R.,  VI,  301 

Fox,  Charles  H.,  Ill,  76 

Fox,  George  A.,  VI,  153 

Fox,  Owen  M.,  V,  273 

Fox  Indians,  I,  50;  II,  125 

Franchise,  III,   130 

Frank,  Walter  C,  IV,  410 

Franke,  Carl  D.,  IV,  226 

Franklin,  Angrean,  III,  88 

Franklin,  Earl   C,  VI,   101 

Franklin,  J.  Herbert,  IV,  156 

Franklin  College,  III,  379 

Franklin  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343 

Free  Banking  system,  III,  96 

Free  Public  Library,  Decatur,  IV,  190 

Free  schools;  1825,  II,  95;  III.  378 

Free  West,  II,  369 

"Freeing  of  Illinois,"  III,  329 

Freeport,  III,  103 

Freeport  Debate,  II,  409;  Lincoln's 
speech,  420;  Douglas'  speech,  429;  Lin- 
coln's rejoinder,  447 

Fremont,  John  C,  III,  51 

French,  Augustus  C,  II,  224,  337;  (illus- 
tration) 338;  IV,  361 

French  and  Indian  War,  I,  137 

French  claims,  I,  309 

French  Contributions  to  Illinois  Life,  I, 
145 

French  dominion,  Illinois  after,  I,  146 

French  families,  I,  150 

French  settlements,  I,  146 

French  villagers,  I,  374 

French  villages,  English  soldiers  in,  I, 
205;  old  (map),  I,  149 

Frenchmen,  influential,  I,  148 

Friedmeyer,  John  G.,  IV,  79 

Friend,  Hugo  M.,  V,  179 

Frizzell,  Herman  P.,  VI,  102 

Frontier  life,  I,  414 

"Frontier  States,"  III,  312 

Fry,  Jacob,  II,  153;  III,  68 

Fryer,  John  F.,  IV,  291 

Fucik,  Edward  J.,  V,  183 

Fugitive  slave  law,  opposition  to,  II,  365 


INDEX 


XXXV 


Fuller,  Allen  C,  III,  50 

Fuller,  Melville  W.,  (illustration)  III, 
141;  IV,  362 

Fulton,  Albert,  IV,  157 

Fulton,  Emma  C,  IV,  158 

Fulton,  John  R.,  V,  195 

Fulwider,  Luther  A.,  V,  421 

Fund  commissioners,  of  internal  im- 
provements, II,  230;  231,  232 

Funk,  Eugene  D.,  V,  271 

Funk,  Isaac,  V,  270 

Funk,  Lafayette,  III,  233 

Funkhouser,  J.,  Ill,  75 

Furlong,  James  E.,  V,  172 

Furlong,   Robert,   IV,   18 

Furniture  industry,  III,  416 

Furrer,  Diebold,  V,  20 

Gabel,  Orman  H.,  V,  256 

Gabriel,  James  T.,  IV,  26 

Gage,  Lyman  J.,  Ill,  239,  252;  IV,  357 

Gail  Borden  Public  Library,  VI,  318 

Galena,  III,  99 

Galena  limestone,  I,  13 

Galesburg,  III,  100 

Galesburg  Debate,  II,  416 

Gallagher,  Mary  M.,  VI,  256 

Gallatin  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343;   Salt  springs,  II,  189 

Galloway,  James,  II,  105 

Gamber,  John  G.,  IV,  53 

Game  and  fish  preserves,  (illustrations) 
II,  233 

Gannon,  Martin  J.,  IV,  106 

Ganster,   Howard   E.,  V,  348 

Gard,  Seth,  I,  337 

Gardner,  Albert  S.,  VI,  115 

Garesche,  F.  A.,  V,  160 

Garrison,  James,  I,  371 

"Garrison  Abolitionists",  II,  160 

Garvin,  Charles  B.,  VI,  246 

Garvin,  George,  VI,  54 

Garvin,  John,  VI,  246 

Gassaway,  James  M.,  V,  330 

Gastman,  Enoch  A.,  Ill,  393 

Gates,  Eugene  L.,  VI,  371 

Gates,  Leo  V.,  VI,  204 

Gatewood,  William  J.,  Ill,  382 

Gattingef,  John  R.,  IV,  399 

General  Assembly,  second,  I,  442;  Twen- 
ty-fifth, III,  120;  minority  representa- 
tion, 135,  281 

Gensel,  Nicholas,  III,  64 

Geologic  processes,  I,  3 

Geological  Eras,  I,  10 

Geological  periods,  present,  I,  19 

Geological  time  divisions,  I,  10 

Geology  of  Illinois,  I,  3 

Georg,  Herbert,  IV,  217 

George,  Albert  B.,  VI,  411 

George,  William,  VI,  272 


Gerhard,  Fred,  II,  96 

Getz,  Peter  L.,  IV,  70 

Gibault,  Pierre,  I,  147,  150,  397 

Gibson,  James  W.,  V,  287 

Gibson,  John  W.,  IV,  342 

Gibson,  Raymond  H.,  V,  288 

Giddings,  Joshua  R.,  II,  373 

Giddings,  Salmon,  I,  370 

Gigliotti,  Cairoli,  IV,  341 

Gilbert,  A.  Fred,  IV,  24 

Gilbert,  Harold  C,  V,  234 

Gilbert,  Othniel,  III,  70 

Gilchrist,  John  F.,  V,  418 

Gill,  Joseph  L.,  VI,  425 

Gillespie,  Charles   E.,  VI,  326 

Gillespie,  Joseph,  II,  153 

Gillham,  Daniel  B.,  IV,  385 

Gillham,  John  F.,  VI,  409 

Gilmartin,   Michael   S.,  VI,  170 

Gilmer,  John  T.,  Ill,  40 

Girard  family,  I,  400 

Glacial  period,  I,  16 

Glandon,  Edgar  D.,  IV,  382 

Glen  Fern,  Johnson  County,  (illustra- 
tion), II,  119 

Glenn,  Lawrence  A.,  V,  212 

Glore,   Charles   F.,  VI,  242 

Gnerich,  Otto,  V,  116 

Goetz,  George,  IV,  67 

Goetzman,  Louis  B.,  VI,  211 

Goetzman,  Louis  W.,  VI,  211 

Golconda;  wharf  at,  (illustration)  I, 
410,  420 

Golden  Circle,  The,  III,  30 

Golding,  Robert  N.,  IV,  348 

Goldman,  William  G.,  V,  395 

Goldstein,  David  S.,  IV,  381 

Gollos,  Anatol,  VI,  169 

Gompers,  Samuel,  III,  344 

Goodall,  Joab,  VI,  309 

Goodell,  Walter,  V,  40 

Goodfellow,  Guy  C,  IV,  145 

Goodman,  Benedict  K.,  VI,  23 

Goodwin,  Andrew  J.,  V,  278 

Goodwin,   John   W.,   Ill,   82 

Goodyear,  Alonzo   F.,  VI,  44 

Gooley,  Charles  G.,  Ill,  89 

Gordley,  Dayton  G.,  V,  58 

Gore,  Edward  E.,  VI,  111 

Gorham,  III,  404 

Gorin,  Orville  B.,  IV,  416 

Gorman,  James  E.,  V,  379 

Goshen,  I,  408 

Gould,  Leo  W.,  VI,  347 

Government,  of  the  First  Class,  I,  239; 
of  Second  Class,  240;  aristocratic,  313; 
State,  at  work,  III,  268 

Governmental  comparisons,  I,  312 

Governor;  candidates  for,  1822,  II,  18; 
office  of,  III,  276,  279 

Govert,  George  W.,  V,  98 


XXXVI 


INDEX 


Gowenlock,  Thomas  R.,  VI,  247 

Gragg,  John  B.,  V,  146 

Grain  port,  Chicago,  III,  208 

Grand  Risseau,  I,  260 

Grand  Tower,  I,  406 

Grandy,  William   A.,  IV,  301 

Grange,   The,   III,   214;   social   value   of, 

228 
Grange  stores,   III,  226 
"Granger  Movement",  III,  220 
Grant,  Oliver  P.,  IV,  316 
Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  Ill,  15;  (illustration), 

16;    Home    of,    (illustration),    59,    60, 

154 
Grant,  William  R.,  IV,  320 
Gratiot,  Charles  I,  402 
Gratiot,  General,  I,  150 
Graves,  Harriett  M.  D.,  VI,  400 
Graves,  Isaac  N.,  VI,  262 
Gray,  John  D.,  V,  67 
Gray,  Thomas  E.,  IV,  417 
Grazing,  I,  30 

Great  Lakes  Naval   Station,  III,  348 
"Great  Salt  Spring",  II,  188 
Greathouse,  Lucien,  VI,  275 
Greaves,  Robert  H.,  V,  27 
Greeley,  Horace,  II,  475,  484;  III,  157 
Green,  Elizabeth  B.,  VI,  368 
Green,  James  F.,  V,  339 
Green,   Nathaniel,   VI,   368 
Green,  Reed,  V,  254 
Green,  Theodore  N.,  IV,  244 
Green,  William  C,  IV,  165 
Green  Bay,  II,  100 
Greene,   Charles    H.,  VI,   320 
Greene,  Evarts  B.,  IV,  398 
Greene,  Gaines,  IV,  252 
Greenman,  Charles  W.,  V,  83 
Gregory,  Clifford  V.,  V,  43 
Gresham,   Samuel  I.,  IV,  248 
Gresham,  Walter  Q.,  IV,  373 
Griesemer,  John  W.,  IV,  133 
Griffin,  James  A.,  IV,  238 
Griffin,  The,  I,  85 
Griffith,  Peter  W.,  V,  218 
Griffith,  Roland  W.,  V,  380 
Grimes,  Florence,  VI,  368 
Grimes,  Jarret  T.,  IV,  367 
Grimm,  Edward,  VI,  332 
Grimmer,  C.  Fred,  IV,  51 
Grissom,  Ira  V.,   IV,  206 
Griswold,  Edward  A.,  VI,  305 
Griswold,  Fannie  E.  L.,  VI,  306 
Griswold,  George,  II,  463 
Griswold,  Harry  H.,  V,  66 
Grove,  Orion   M.,  VI,  350 
Grove,  Pearl  F.,  VI,  348 
Growth    and    development,    1834-53,     II, 

347 
Guard,  Timothy,  II,  199 
Gubbins,  Earl  G.,  VI,  118 


Guest,  R.  Albert,  IV,  73 
Guingrich,  John  L.,  VI,  130 
Guinnip,  Lyman,  III,  72 
Gulick,  John  H.,  IV,  345 
Gumm,  Albert  G.,  VI,  81 
Gunboats,  Civil  War,  III,  43 
Gunning,  Thomas  P.,  IV,  103 
Gustin,  Robert  V.,  IV,  420 
Guthrie,  Edward  T.,  VI,  88 

Haag,  Albert  R.,  VI,  414 
Haag,  George  A.,  VI,  414 
Haag   Brothers   Company,  VI,  414 
Hacker,   Fanny  P.,   V,   269 
Hacker,  John  S.,  V,  269 
Hadley,  Charles  W.,  V,  309 
Hadley,  Wilbur  C,  VI,  4 
Hadley,  William  E.,  VI,  5 
Haeger,  Edmund  H.,  V,  419 
Hager,  Clyde,  V,  392 
Haley,  James  F.,  VI,  300 
"Half   Moon  Lick",   II,   199,   201 
Hall,  Albert  L.,  V,  172 
Hall,  Charles  R.,  VI,  87 
Hall,  Cyrus,  III,  82 
Hall,  James,  II,  64 
Hall,  James  Jr.,  I,  338 
Hall,  John  C,  VI,  128 
Hall,  Richard  C,  V,  152 
Hall,  Ross  C,  VI,  132 
Hall,  Thomas  W.,  VI,  335 
Halliday,  Henry  E.,  VI,  264 
Hallstrom,  J.  H.,  V,  286 
Hamill,  Ernest  A.,  IV,  16 
Hamilton,   Arthur   E.,   V,   91 
Hamilton,  Charles  E.,  VI,  72 
Hamilton,  Edwin   S.,  VI,  383 
Hamilton,  Elisha  B.,  IV,  175 
Hamilton,  Henry,  I,  185 
Hamilton,  James  W.,  VI,  162 
Hamilton,  John  C,   IV,  77 
Hamilton,  John  M.,  IV,  390 
Hamilton,  Paul   M.,  VI,  32 
Hamilton,  Richard  J.,  II,  385;  IV,  390 
Hamilton,  William  S.,  II,  155 
Hamlin,  Franklin  C,  VI,  415 
Hamlin,  Harry  A.,  VI,  288 
Hamlin,  Howland  J.,  VI,  343 
Hamlin,  Mary  Ella,  VI,  344 
Hammel,  Adolph  B.,  VI,  45 
Hammond,  Jackson  L.,  V,  214 
Hammond,  Thomas  S.,  VI,  377 
Hampton,  Cecil  F.,  VI,  194 
Hampton,  Samuel  F.,  VI,  193 
Handley,   Robert   M.,  Ill,   80 
Handy,  Moses  P.,  IV,  389 
Hanley,  William  F.,  V,  119 
Hannant,  Edward  H.,  V,  106 
Hansen,  Harold  J.,  V,  184 
Harbaugh,  Charles  D.,  VI,  283 
Harbaugh,  Frank  L.,  IV,  323 


INDEX 


XXXVll 


Harbaugh,  May  F.,  VI,  284 

Hardin,  John,  II,  151 

Hardin,  John  J.,  II,  224,  321 

Harding,  Abner  C,  III,  73 

Harding,  Eleazer  E.,  IV,  103 

Harding,  George  F.,  VI,  377 

Hardy,  John  G.,  V,  340 

Hargrave,  Willis,  I,  337 

Harle,  Ross  A.,  VI,  270 

Harlow,   George   H.,   Ill,   161 

Harmon,  Cameron,  V,  388 

Harmon,  Oscar  F.,  Ill,  80 

Harned,  Merton  R.,  VI,  352 

Harney,  W.  S.,  II,  312 

Harper,  Francis  A.,  V,  57 

Harper,  William  R.,  IV,  372 

Harrauff,   Oscar   B.,   IV,   100 

Harrell,  Jerome  L.,  VI,  201 

Harrell,  Roy  W.,  V,  399 

Harries,  George  H.,  VI,  392 

Harris,  Asa  C.,  IV,  347 

Harris,  Benjamin  F.,  Ill,  363;  VI,  394 

Harris,  Charles  E.,  VI,  398 

Harris,   Charles   W.,   IV,   212 

Harris,  Henry  J.,  VI,  219 

Harris,  Thomas   W.,   Ill,  67 

Harris  Family,  VI,  394 

Harrison,   Carter   H.,    Ill,    259;    VI,   366 

Harrison,  Isham,  I,  339 

Harrison,  John  H.,  Ill,  363;  V,  91 

Harrison,  William  H.,  I,  241 

Harriss,  Judson  E.,  V,  229 

Harriss,  Louis  P.,  VI,  323 

Hart,  George  E.,  V,  9 

Hart,  Louis  E.,  V,  33 

Hart,   Sterling   P.,  IV,  231 

Hart,  William   H.,  V,  426 

Hart,  William  W.,  V,  427 

Hart  &  Hart,  V,  427 

Hartwell,  George  P.,  IV,  415 

Hartz,  Irving  T.,  V,  35 

Hartz,  Samuel  B.,  V,  34 

Harvey,  Beauchamp  A.,  VI,  132 

Haskell,  Frederick  T.,  V,  417 

Haskell,   Fritz   L.,  VI,   172 

Haskell,  W.  A.,  VI,  209 

Hastings,   Clarence   C,  IV,  180 

Hastings,  Oris  B.,  VI,  372 

Hatch,  Claude  W.,  IV,  424 

Hauberg,  John  H.,  IV,  405 

Haven,  Franklin,  II,  463 

Hawkes,  Walter  S.,  Ill,  41 

Hawkins,   John   J.,  V,   157 

Hawks,  Joseph   K.   P.,  VI,  255 

Hay,  Henry  C,  V,  143 

Hay,  John,  (illustration)  II,  449;  IV,  374 

Hay,  Logan,  IV,  27 

Hay,  Milton,  III,  128 

Hayes,  James  T.,  V,  231 

Hayes,  John  A.,  IV,  44 

Haynie,  Isham  N.,  Ill,  66 


Hayner,  John  E.,  VI,  210 

Hays,  Ellen  S.,  IV,  387 

Hays,   Herbert  A.,  IV,  387 

Hays,  John  D.,  IV,  387 

Heald,   Capt.,  I,   280 

Heap,   Elnora  R.   W.,  V,  211 

Heap,  Harold  R.,  V,  211 

Heap,  John  E.,  V,  211 

Hearn,  Campbell  S.,  Ill,  303 

Heaton,  Charles  S.,  V,  68 

Heaton,  John  A.,  VI,  86 

Heberling,  Julian  H.,  V,  108 

Hecker,  Frederick,  III,  61 

Heckert,  Henry  F.,  VI,  211 

Heckman,  Louis,  VI,  120 

Heer,  Harry  L.,  V,  303 

Hefter,  Charles,  V,  403 

Heiligenstein,   Christian   X.,  VI,   332 

Hellemann,  Frank  M.,  IV,  236 

Hellemann,  Fred  W.,  IV,  149 

Hellrung,  Lawrence  W.,  V,  86 

Helmle,  George  B.,  IV,  23 

Hembreiker,   William  J.,   IV,  335 

Hendee,  U.  Clinton,  V,  282 

Henderson,  James  H.,  IV,  192 

Henderson,  John  W.,  IV,  191 

Henderson,  Paul,  VI,  143 

Henderson,  Thomas  J.,  II,  265;  III,  78; 

IV,  388 
Henneberger,  Albert  H.,  VI,  279 
Hennepin,  I,  256 
Hennepin  expedition,  I,  90 
Hennepin  Canal,  I,  256;  III,  429 
Hennessy,   P.  J.,  V,  292 
Hennessy,  William  A.,  VI,  284 
Henry,  Charles  D.,  VI,  276 
Henry,  Charles   D.   Jr.,  V,   134 
Henry,  Patrick,  I,  196 
Henry,  Sylvester  F.,  VI,  319 
Henshaw,  Edward  C,  III,  90 
Henshaw's     Battery,     Illinois     Artillery, 

III,  90 
Hensley,  Alex  P.,  VI,  104 
Heob,  Elroy  W.,  VI,  194 
Herb,  Joseph  D.,  V,  328 
Hercz,  Arthur,  III,  336 
Herding,  I,  30 
Herlihy,  F.  J.,  V,  7 
Herman,  Joseph  L.,  IV,  20 
Hermann,  Otto  H.,  V,  71 
Herndon,  William  H.,  II,  478;  IV,  377 
Herring,  Frederick  A.,  V,  143 
Hersh,  Edward  W.,  V,  298 
Hertenstein,  Bernard  H.,  VI,  289 
Hertenstein,  Rudolph,  VI,  289 
Hess,  C.  Josephine,  V,  177 
Hess,  George   W.,  V,   177 
Hess,  Harvey  H.,  IV,  122 
Hess  Memorial,  V,  177 
Hewitt,  A.  B.,  Ill,  40 
Hewitt,  Francis  M.,  V,  367 


XXXV111 


INDEX 


Hewitt,  Henry  H.,  V,  43 

Heydecker,  Coral  T.,  V,  341 

Heyl,  Clarence  W.,  IV,  36 

Heyworth,  James  O.,  VI,  253 

Hickey,  James  P.,  IV,  45 

Hickey,  John  P.,  VI,  279 

Hickman,  George  T.,  IV,  235 

Hickox,   Warren   R.,   VI,  57 

Hicks,  Stephen  G.,  Ill,  65 

Hieronymus,  Robert  E.,  VI,  56 

Hieser,  Christian,  IV,  109 

Hieser,  John,  IV,  118 

Higdon,  William  D.,  V,  378 

Higginbotham,  H.   N.,   Ill,   261 

High  schools,  III,  392 

Highway  commission,  III,  425 

Highway  scenes   (illustrations),  II,  77 

Hiles,  Perry  H.,  V,  81 

Hill,  Columbus  C,  IV,  61 

Hill,  David,  V,  415 

Hill,  Jacob  H.,  IV,  214 

Hill,  John  H.,  IV,  115 

Hill,  John  W.,  IV,  275 

Hill,  Lysander,  IV,  274 

Hill,   William  H.,  VI,  381 

Hill,  William  H.,  Sr.,  VI,  381 

Hiller,  Frank  B.,  VI,  260 

Hilliard,  Thomas  J.,  V,  248 

Hilling,  Richard  A.,  V,  102 

Hillskotter,  John  E.,  IV,  340 

Hilterbrand,  John,  I,  404 

Hine,  Allen  T.,  IV,  92 

Hine,  Lucius  A.,  VI,  181 

Hines,  T.  Henry,  III,  48 

Hippler,  C.  Harold,  V,  304 

Hirschi,  Christian  G.,  VI,  64 

Histed,  J.  R.,  VI,  317 

Historian,  earliest  Illinois,  I,  145 

History  of  the  Ursulines  in  Springfield, 

IV,  57 
Hitchcock,  Charles,  III,  129 
Hitchcock,  Howard  H.,  VI,  107 
Hitt,  Robert  R.,  II,  407 
Hoag,  Howard  C,  V,  197 
Hoagland,  Edd,  VI,  307 
Hodge,  George  B.,  Ill,  78 
Hodgson,  Jonathan  B.,  IV,  117 
Hodkinson,  LeRoy,  IV,  330 
Hodson,  Thomas  H.,  V,  276 
Hoennicke,    Edward,    VI,    277 
Hoffer,  James  J.,  V,  430 
Hoffman,  Adele,  IV,  36 
Hoffman,   Francis  A.,  II,  383,  494 
Hogan,  George  F.,  V,  395 
Hogan,  George  W.,  VI,  124 
Hogan,  Thomas  D.,  IV,  27 
Hogs,  III,  202 

Hoiles,   Clarence   E.,  V,  381 
Holaday,   William   P.,  VI,  46 
Holden,  Hale,  VI,  14 
Holland,  Howard  L.,  V,  183 


Holland,   Thomas    E.,   IV,   254 

Hollenbeck,  William  T.,  VI,  243 

Holmes,  Grant,  VI,  69 

Holton,    Campbell,    V,    377 

Holton,  Tilghman,  V,  376 

Holly,  Clara  E.  B.,  VI,  241 

"Homestead   Act",   III,    106 

Homestead  exemption,  II,  345;  III,  106 

Homrich,   Walter   A.,   V,   242 

Hood,  John  F.,  V,  246 

Hood,  William  J.,  VI,  182 

Hoover,  Herbert,  III,  361 

Hoover,  S.  N.,  V,  274 

Hopkins,  Caleb,  III,  88 

Hopkins,  Corydon   B.,  VI,  49 

Hopkins,  Fred  G.,  IV,  138 

Hopkins,  John  P.,  Ill,  363 

Horberg,  John  A.,  IV,  130 

Horneman,  Herman  C,  VI,  63 

Horse  Prairie,  I,  406 

Horse  racing,  early,  I,  379 

Horstman,  Henry  G.,  VI,  352 

Horticultural  societies,  III,  94 

Horwitz,  Sandor,  IV,  52 

Hostettler,  Earl  H.,  V,  359 

Hotel   (old),  in  Jonesboro,   (illustration) 

II,  471 
Houchin,  James,  IV,  299 
Hough,  Henry  A.,  IV,  240 
Hough,  Rosell  M.,  Ill,  69 
Houghtaling,  Charles,  III,  88 
Houghton,  Charles  W.,  V,  35 
Houlihan,  Francis  J.,  V,  61 
House,  Leroy  B.,  VI,  231 
House,  Oscar,  V,  211 
Houston,  Thomas  P.,  V,  230 
Hovey,  Charles  E.,  Ill,  62,  118,  393,  396; 

IV,  388 
Howard,  Benjamin,  I,  287 
Howard,  Nathaniel  L.,  VI,  71 
Howden,  Walter  E.,  VI,  43 
Hoy,  Alfred  C,  V,  345 
Hoyne,  Maclay,  VI,  6 
Hoyne,  Thomas,  IV,  353 
Hrabik,  John,  VI,  416 
Hubbard,  Adolphus  F.,  I,  337 
Hubbard,  Clifford  L.,  IV,  126 
Hubbard,  Gurdon,  II,   154 
Huber,  Martin,  VI,  60 
Huber,  Vincent,  VI,  367 
Huck,  William  O.,  VI,  89 
Huckins,  William  W.,  VI,  296 
Hudgens,  Egbert  T.,  VI,  311 
Hudgens,  John  B.,  VI,  423 
Hudson,  James  H.,  VI,  390 
Hudson,  Zachariah,  V,  213 
Huff,  Thomas  D.,  V,  193 
Hughes,  Edward  J.,  VI,  70 
Hughes,  Thomas,  I,  405 
Hughitt,  Marvin,  IV,  355 
Hull,  Franklin  N.,  V,  222 


INDEX 


XXXIX 


Hull,  Helen  H.,  V,  222 
Hull,  William  E.,  VI,  403 
Hull's  Landing,  I,  406 
Hull's  Town,  I,  260 
Hunsaker,  Curtis  A.,  V,  203 
Hunt,  Anthony  A.,  VI,  19 
Hunt,  Robert  I.,  V,  34 
Hunter,  Earl,  VI,  67 
Hunter,  William  R.,  IV,  423 
Hurd,  Harry  B.,  VI,  71 
Hurdle,  Orval  N.,  VI,  223 
Hurburgh,  Charles  F.,  V,  311 
Hurlburt,  Stephen  A.,  II,  333 
Hurley,  Edward  N.,  IV,  286 
Hurst,  Charles  R.,  IV,  215 
Hurst-Bush,  III,  406 
Hussey,  Mike  H.,  V,  312 
Huston,  William   F.,  IV,  130 
Hutchens,  Gilbert  K.,  VI,  34 
Hutchings,   Alexander   W.,  V,   285 
Hutchins,  Thomas,  I,  222 
Huthmacher,   Charles   C,  IV,  385 
Huthmacher,  George,  V,  280 
Huxley,  Henry  M.,  V,  69 

Ice  sheet  invasions,  I,  17 

lies,  Elijah,  II,  150 

Iliff,  George  F.,  VI,  247 

Illini  Indians,  I,  47 

Illinois:  Contour  of,  1,  32;  waterways, 
32;  natural  unity  in,  34;  relation  of, 
to  Canada,  59;  a  royal  province,  127; 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  137; 
after  French  dominion,  146;  under 
British  control,  154;  description  of, 
1765,  156;  Clark's  conquest  of,  169; 
civil  government  in,  186;  abandonment, 
203;  final  act  of  cession,  214;  Terri- 
tory of  First  Class,  263;  territorial 
officials,  263;  judges,  264;  first  legis- 
lative session,  264;  rangers,  in  1812, 
279;  campaigns,  in  1812,  284;  mili- 
tary campaigns  in  1812,  287;  First 
Class  Territory,  290;  legislature  of 
1812,  291;  early  laws,  292;  delegate 
in  Congress,  293;  land  titles,  294; 
preemption  law,  296;  increased  immi- 
gration, 298;  new  counties,  299;  civil 
administration,  301;  Supreme  Court, 
303;  banks,  303;  looking  toward  state- 
hood, 308;  abstract  of  title,  308; 
claims  of  Spain,  France  and  Great 
Britain,  309;  claim  of  Virginia,  310; 
territorial  government,  311;  govern- 
mental comparisons,  312;  makeup  of 
Congress,  312;  government  aristo- 
cratic, 313;  rights  of  suffrage  modi- 
fied, 314;  factional  politics,  316;  slav- 
ery question,  319;  boundaries,  326;  in 
1818  (map),  328;  early  society  in,  373; 
Canadian  contingent,  373;  social  stand- 


ards, 376;  as  a  state,  426;  early  finan- 
cial transactions,  433;  as  pioneer 
state,  447;  interest  payments,  1841,  II, 
240;  in  1836,  295;  growth  and  de- 
velopment, 1834-53,  347;  Prairie  State, 
III,  299;  neighboring  states,  301; 
militia  in  World  war,  343;  contribu- 
tion to  army,  345 
Illinois  Agricultural  Association,  VI,  153 
Illinois  Agricultural  College,  III,  186; 
College  Building  at  Irvington  (illus- 
tration), 187 

Illinois    Agricultural    College,    Irvington 

(illustration)    III,   187,  192 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  II,  211,  240, 

456;  III,  133,  429 
Illinois    and    Michigan    Canal    Associa- 
tion, II,  216 
"Illinois  and  the  War",  III,  316 
Illinois  Centennial  Anniversary,  III,  299 
Illinois    Central    Railroad,    II,   454;    first 
charter,  457;  second  charter,  457;  third 
charter,  458;  fourth  charter,  458;  con- 
tention, 459;  passage  of  bill  for  Gov- 
ernment grant,  461;  fifth  charter,  464; 
work   begun,   464;   foreign   ownership, 
465;   cost  of  road,   466;   charter,   466; 
income,  468;  contention,  468;   III,  139 
Illinois   College,   II,  301,  303 
"Illinois    Commission    to    the    Louisiana 

Exposition",  III,  265 
Illinois  Confederation   (Indian),  I,  48 
Illinois  Country,  Virginia,  I,  183 
Illinois  Democratic  Convention,  1864,  III, 
52 

Illinois  Emigrant,  The,  I,  381;  II,  27,  78 

Illinois   Gazette,  II,   27,  45 

Illinois  Herald,  The,  I,  381;  (facsimile 
of  early  issue)   II,  79 

"Illinois   Historical   Collections",   II,   400 

Illinois  Indians,  I,  48 

Illinois  Industrial   College,  III,  188,  192 

Illinois  Industrial  League,  III,  386 

Illinois  Industrial  University,  III,  401 

Illinois  Intelligencer,  The,  I,  381;  II,  45 

"Illinois  Land  Company",  I,  159 

Illinois  regiments,  Mexican  War,  II,  313 

Illinois  Republican,  II,  46 

Illinois  River,  I,  33;  from  Prospect 
Heights,  Peoria,   (illustration)    II,  115 

Illinois  State  Bank,  I,  442 

Illinois  State  Library,  Extension  Divis- 
ion, IV,  33 

Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  III,  303; 
IV,  193 

Illinois  State  Normal  University,  V,  334 
Illinois  State  Register,  IV,  193 
Illinois    Supreme    Court   Building    (illus- 
tration), III,  331 
Illinois  Teacher,  III,  117 


xl 


INDEX 


Illinois    Teachers'   Association,    III,    183, 

383 
Illinois  Territory,  I,  254;  first  lawyer  in, 

260;    commerce     and     trade    of,    305; 

public  men  of,  382 
Illinois  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  VI,  64 
Illinois  valley,  floods,  III,  428 
Illinois  Wilmot  proviso,  II,  365 
Imhoff,  Mary  M.,  V,  387 
Immigration,   into   Northwest  Territory, 

I,  236;    increased,    298;    1825,    II,    67; 
revival  of,  84 

Immigrants,   early,   II,   73 

"In   Flanders   Fields",   III,   321 
. Indentured  servants,  I,  250 

Indentured  slaves,  II,  193 

Indentured  system,  II,  15 

Independence,  Centennial  of,  III,  232 

Independence  Day,  first  celebration  of, 
west  of   Ohio   River,  I,  229 

Indiana  Territory,  created,  I,  244;  elec- 
tion, 244;   division  of,  253 

Indian  Buffalo,  painted  on  bluff  in  John- 
son County   (illustration)   I,  53 

Indian   cession,   II,   209 

Indian  Creek  massacre,  II,  136 

Indian  War,  last,  II,  108 

Indians,  I,  46;  of  Central  North  Amer- 
ica,    47;     Illinois     Confederation,     48; 
characteristics,     51;     war,     51;     hunt- 
ing,   53;    family   and   tribal    organiza- 
tion,  54;   selfishness,  55;   religion,  5b 
virtues,    58;     conferences     with,     231 
treaties    with,    265;     barbarities,    269 
treaties   with,   289;   last  war,  II,   108 
treaties,  108,  149 

Industrial  Education  Convention,  III,  384 

Industrial  institutions,  I,  28 

Industrial  League  of  Illinois,  III,  184 

Industries,  early,  II,  85;  salt-making, 
187;  III,  416;  distribution  of  factories, 
417 

Infantry,  Regiments,  III,  56 

Ingersoll,  Robert  G.,  Ill,  54,  86;  IV,  362 

Ingham,  George  K.,   IV,  107 

Ingham,  Leonard  W.,  IV,  107 

Inland  navigation,  early,  II,  208 

Institutional  church,  III,  433 

Insull,   Martin   J.,   V,   92 

Insull,  Samuel,  III,  363,  366;  V,  3 

Intellectual  development  of  farmers,  III, 
230 

Internal  Improvement  Convention,  1836, 

II,  225 

Internal  Improvements,  II,  215;  general 
system  of,  1837,  227;  fund  commis- 
sioners, 230;  system,  231;  revenue  tax- 
ation, III,  340 

Irish  Dragoons,  Illinois  Artillery,  III,  90 

Irish  vote,  II,  257 

Iron  and  steel,  III,  416 


Irons,  David  D.,  Ill,  73 
Isaacs,  Martin  J.,  V,  394 
Isenburg,  Frank  R.,  IV,  431 
Isley,  William  E.,  VI,  296 

Jack,  Cecil  M.,  IV,  246 

Jack,  James  P.,  VI,  297 

Jackson,  Charles  A.,  VI,  291 

Jackson,  David  H.,  IV,  311 

Jackson,  Earl  B.,  VI,  119 

Jackson  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343 

Jacksonville,  I,  420;  III,  101 

Jacobs,  Fred  W.,  IV,  348 

Jacquess  James  F.,  Ill,  71 

Jadrich,  Joseph  A.,  V,  236 

James,  Edmund  J.,  Ill,  324;  V,  427 

James  Millikin  University,  IV,  174 

Janson,  Walter  E.,  V,  246 

Jaranowski,  John  W.,  VI,  374 

Jarman,  Sarah  A.,  Hospital,  VI,  109 

Jarrot,   Nicholas,   I,   389 

Jarvis,  W.  W.,  V,  134 

Jasinsky,  David  L.,  V,  240 

Jay,   Norman   A.,  VI,   191 

Jeffery,  Edward  T.,  V,  372 

Jeffery,  James  C,  V,  373 

Jeffries,  Joseph   W.,   IV,  47 

Jenkins,   Alexander   M.,   II,  332,  456 

Jennings,  Everett,  V,  244 

Jericho,  M.  Fraker,  V,  235 

Jingling,  Carl  H.,  IV,  121 

Joehl,  Edward  L.,  V,  73 

Joesting,  Emit  W.,  VI,  42 

John  Deere  Plow  Company,  (illustra- 
tion)  III,  103 

Johns,  Frederick  A.,  Ill,  82 

Johns,  George  W.,  V,  194 

Johnson,  Alex  C,  VI,  69 

Johnson,  Allen,  III,  324 

Johnson,  Amory  K.,  Ill,  61 

Johnson,  Andrew,  III,  51;  administration, 
150;  impeachment  of,  152 

Johnson,  Arthur  L.,  V,  261 

Johnson,  E.   Marie,  V,  274 

Johnson,  Gustaf  J.,  V,  425 

Jonhson,  Hiram  N.,  VI,  327 

Johnson,  Lawrence   C,  VI,  416 

Johnson,  Madison  Y.,  Ill,  41 

Johnson,  Mary  A.  G.,  IV,  284 

Johnson,  Simeon  R.,  IV,  235 

Johnson,  William,  IV,  394 

Johnson,  William  C,  VI,  121 

Johnson,  William  E.,  IV,  283 

Johnson,   William   R.,  V,   414 

Johnson  County,  splendid  tree  specimen, 
(illustration)  I,  29;  population  in  1818, 
343 

Johnston,   Albert   S.,   II,   154,  312 

Johnston,  Edwin,  V,  148 

Johnston,  Joseph  E.,  II,  155,  312 


INDEX 


xli 


Johnston,  Maurice  B.,  V,  122 
Johnston  City  State  Bank,  VI,  89 
Joiner,  Alvin,  V,  371 
Joliet,  Louis,  I,  70;  (illustration)  71,  256; 

II,  98;  III,  104 
Jolley,  Louis  B.,  V,  180 
Jolley,  William  A.,  V,  165 
Jones,  Alba  A.,  IV,  208 
Jones,  Alfred  H.,  VI,  341 
Jones,  Arthur  H.,  IV,  337 
Jones,  Edgar  B.,  V,  333 
Jones,  Harry  Y.,  VI,  391 
Jones,  Henry  P.,  IV,  80 
Jones,  James  0.,  IV,  88 
Jones,  Jonathan,  V,  320 
Jones,  John  C,  IV,  351 
Jones,  John  R.,  I,  393 
Jones,  John  Rice,  I,  260 
Jones,  Lotte  E.,  VI,  41 
Jones,  Mary  H.  S.,  VI,  258 
Jones,  Michael,  I,  337 
Jones,  Norman  L.,  VI,  308 
Jones,  Oliver  M.,  V,  163 
Jones,  Walter  C,  V,  320 
Jones,  William  C,  VI,  257 
Jonesboro,  I,  407 

Jonesboro  Debate,  II,  410;   unveiling  of 
marker   at   site   of,    (illustration)    411 
Jonesboro  Gazette,  III,  34 
Jordan,  Albert  H.,  VI,  240 
Jordan,  Benjamin,  VI,  39 
Joyce,  John   T.,  V,  404 
Judd,  Norman  B.,   II,   478;   IV,  363 
Judges,  early  Illinois,  I,  264;  election  of, 

III,  275 

Judiciary    Department,    Illinois     govern- 
ment, II,  I,  274 
Judy,  James  W.,  Ill,  78 
Judy,  Samuel,  I,  386 
Just,  Frank  H.,  V,  416 
Justice  courts,  III,  144 

Kammann,  Henry  E.,  VI,  302 

Kane,  Elias  K.,  I,  336,  400;  II,  35,  65 

Kane,  Kevin,  V,  57 

Kane,  Michael  B.,  IV,  337 

Kane,  William  C,  VI,  178 

Kaney,  Anthony  V.,   VI,   105 

Kankakee,  I,  152;  III,  100 

Kansas-Nebraska   bill,   II,   367 

Kaoquias   (village),  I,  162 

Karraker,  David  W.,  IV,  351 

Karraker,  Ira  O.,  V,  337 

Karraker,  Orville  M.,  VI,  185 

Karraker,  William  W.,  V,  336 

Kaskaskia,  I,  86;  first,  109;  new,  111; 
village  life  at,  1700,  115;  capture  of, 
180;  early  land  officers,  441;  in  1901, 
(illustration)    III,    307;    old,   327 

Kaskaskia  Court,  I,  215 

Kaskaskia  Indians,  I,  49 


Kaskaskia  River,  suspension  bridge 
across,  at  Carlyle,  (illustration)  I, 
111 

Kauffman,  Rebecca  H.  B.,  V,  408 

Kaul,  H.,  VI,  108 

Kay,  Joseph  T.,  V,  260 

Keeker,  Frederick,  III,  72 

Keehn,  Roy  D.,  IV,  272 

Keener,  George  W.,  Ill,  83 

Kehoe,  F.  B.,  V,  8 

Keig,  Marshall  E.,  V,  347 

Keil,  Adam  J.,  IV,  131 

Keith,  Charles  W.,  Ill,  89 

Keith,  John  H.,  V,  88 

Keith,  L.  Frederick,  V,  117 

Keller,  Mark  C,  VI,  206 

Keller,  Theodore  C,  V,  382 

Keller,  Vincent  F.,  IV,  131 

Kelley,  Earle  R.,  VI,  324 

Kelley,  Oliver  H.,  Ill,  214 

Kellogg,  William  P.,  Ill,  85 

Kellogg  Grove  Monument,  Black  Hawk 
War,  (illustration)  II,  138 

Kelly,  Bernard,  IV,  93 

Kelly,  Daniel  M.,  VI,  272 

Kelly,  Edward  A.,  VI,  404 

Kelly,  Edward  J.,  IV,  14 

Kelly,  Harry  E.,  IV,  251 

Kelly,  Harry  L.,  IV,  46 

Kelly,  Wallace  G.,  IV,  290 

Kelton,  John  C,  II,  68 

Kemp,  Philip  G.,  V,  41 

Kennedy,  Bart  R.,  V,  82 

Kennedy,  Thomas,   VI,   141 

Kenney,  Andrew  M.,  IV,  146 

Kennicott,  Hiram  M.  L.,  V,  18 

Kennicott,  Jonathan,  V,  17 

Kenny,  William  M.,  IV,  166 

Kenry,  George  C,  V,  226 

Kent,  Albert  J.,  V,  250 

Kent,  Lillian,  IV,  41 

Kentucky,   settlers   in,  I,   169 

Keokuk,  (chief)  II,  150 

Kern,  Fred  J.,  VI,  23 

Kern,  James  W.,  VI,  53 

Kern,  Julius  C,  IV,  421 

Kerr,  Robert  J.,  IV,  269 

Kerr,  Samuel,  IV,  268 

Kerr,  William   D.,   IV,   269 

Kerrick,  Thomas  C,  IV,  390 

Kerz,  Paul,  V,  318 

Kessberger,  August  W.,  IV,  210 

Kettle  used  in  salt  making  (illustration), 
I,  196 

Kewanee  Printing  &  Publishing  Com- 
pany, IV,  143 

Kickapoo  Indians,  I,  50 

Kickapoo  Towns,  I,  408 

Kidd,  Robert,  I,  371,  405 

Kilby,  Edgar  E.,  IV,  60 

Kilgore,  Benjamin  F.,  V,  360 


xlii 


INDEX 


Kilgore,  Joseph  G.,  VI,  70 

Kilpatrick,  Thomas  M.,  II,  337 

Kimball,  Frank  H.,  VI,  366 

Kimble,  Peter  F.,  V,   125 

Kimmel,  Charles  A.,  IV,  64 

Kimmel,  Howard  E.,  VI,  159 

Kimmel,  Oscar  H.,  VI,  94 

Kimsey,  John  W.,  IV,  42 

Kincaid,  Ellen  J.  C,  V,  56 

Kincaid,  John  H.,  V,  55 

Kincaid,  Samuel  W.,  VI,  48 

Kincaid,  Mrs.  G.  M.,  IV,  26 

Kincaid,   William   I.,  IV,  309 

King,  Bismarck,  IV,  210 

King,  Edward  J.,  IV,  355 

King,  Francis  C.,  V,  21 

King,  Loman  T.,  VI,  276 

King,  Myron  D.,  VI,  99 

King  George's  War,  I,  131 

Kingsbury,  Dennis  H.,  IV,  413 

Kingsley,  Ronald,  V,   335 

Kinley,   David,    (illustration)     III,    373; 

IV,  8 
Kinne,  Harry  C.,  V,  71 
Kinney,  Thomas  J.,  Ill,  79 
Kinney,  William  I,  367;  II,  36,  64,  204 
Kinsall,  David  M.,  VI,  200 
Kinsey,  Charles  S.,  V,  108 
Kinzie,  John,  I,  280,  396;  II,  100,  103 
Kirchner,  William  A.,  V,  295 
Kirk,  Edward  Y.,  Ill,  64 
Kirk,  Ona  M.,  VI,  174 
Kirkham,  Don  I.,  V,  292 
Kirkham,   Robert,   III,   68 
Kirkpatrick,  Thomas,  I,  339 
Kiser,  Charles  R.,  V,  26 
Kitchell,  Joseph,   I,  339 
Klaes,  John  J.,  VI,  119 
Kleine,  Ernest,  V,  252 
Knapp,  Raymond  K.,  VI,  323 
Kneedler,  R.  Guy,  V,  26 
Knights   of  Columbus,  World  War,  III, 

365 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  III,  30 
Knobelsdorff,  Charles,  III,  66 
Knoerzer,  John  A.,  V,  163 
Knox,  Harry  T.,  IV,  249 
Knox  College,  II,  301,  306 
Knuppel,  John  G.,  IV,  305 
Koch,  Alvin  C,  VI,  85 
Koch,  Caroline  W.,  IV,  96 
Koch,  David,  IV,  96 
Koch,  Emma,  IV,  205 
Koch,  John,  IV,  205 
Koch,  Silas  A.,  V,  42 
Koeneke,  G.  P.,  V,  188 
Koerner,  Gustavus,  (illustration)  II,  381, 

478;   IV,  364 
Kohler,  Eric  L.,  V,  184 
Kohn,   Samuel,   IV,  386 
Kolb,  Peter  J.,  VI,  125 


Koons,  John  A.,  VI,  138 
Kraft,  Charles  J.,  IV,  415 
Kraft,  George  W.,  IV,  215 
Kratz,  Ethel  G.,  VI,  43 
Kreider,  Benjamin  F.,  V,  38 
Kreiling,   Christian   H.,   V,   145 
Kreiling.  Henry  J.,  V.  30 
Kriegsman,  Philip  J.,  IV,  75 
Krohn,  Henry  W.,  VI,  410 
Krome,  Dora,  V,  160 
Krome,  Lucy  M.,  V,  160 
Krome,  William  H.,  V,  159 
Krooth,  Arthur  S.,  V,  227 
Krooth,  Joseph,  V,  227 
Kruzan,  John  A.,  IV,  200 
Kueffner,  William  C,  III,  83 
Kuehn,  Marcell  F.,  V,  162 
Kunneman,  Christian  H.,  V,  155 
Kunz,  Frank  O.,  IV,  329 
Kunz,  Stanley  H.,  VI,  376 

Labor  Department,  III,  292,  294 

Lackey,  George  W.,  Ill,  83;  VI,  243 

LaFayette  visits  Illinois,  II,  68;  in  St. 
Louis,  70;  at  Kaskaskia,  71;  at  Shaw- 
neetown,  72 

LaFramboise,  Joseph,  I,  151;  II,  106 

LaFramboise,  Paul,  I,  151 

Lake  Michigan,  I,  33 

Lakin,  William  T.,  V,  293 

Lamborn,  Josiah,  IV,  375 

Lamken,  Samuel,  IV,  223 

Land  offices,  established,  I,  296;  early, 
441 

Land  titles,  territorial,  I,  294 

Landborg,  Benjamin  W.,  VI,  320 

Lane,  Charles  O.,  VI,  166 

Lane,  Johnson  H.,  VI,   130 

Langlois,  Harmedois  A.,  V,  241 

Langston,  Vernon  C,  VI,  274 

Langston,  William   M.,  VI,  273 

Laplacian  hypothesis,  I,  5 

Larned,  Calista   E.,  IV,  325 

La  Rosh,  Jonas  E.,  IV,  207 

La  Rosh,  Theresia,  IV,  208 

LaSalle,  Robert  Cavalier,  Sieur  de,  I,  80; 
defeats  and  triumphs  of,  80;  (illustra- 
tion 81;  in  New  France,  91;  unfinished 
task  of,  96;  vision,  96;  stricken  with 
fever,  99;  at  Matagorda  Bay,  103,  256; 
II,  100;   III,  99 

Latham,  Robert  H.,  Ill,  77 

Latham,  Sam  W.,  VI,  177 

La  Trappe  Monks,  I,  391 

Latzer,  Louis,  IV,  413 

Law,  John,  I,  114 

Law,  William,  II,  282 

Lawler,  Michael  K.,  Ill,  58 

Lawless  (Judge)  II,  172 

Laws,  early,  I,  292 

Lawson,  William  J.,  V,  40 


INDEX 


xliii 


Lawyers,  first  in  Illinois  Territory,  I, 
260 

Lay,  Frank  M.,  IV,  129 

Lead,  I,  41 

Lead  mines,  II,  110;    (illustration),  299 

Lead  plates,  I,  132 

Lecompton   Constitution,   II,  395 

LeCrone,  George  M.,  V,  217 

Lee,  D.  Lewis,  VI,  322 

Lee,  D.  L.  Publishing  Company,  VI,  322 

Lee,  Homer  D.,  V,  341 

Legier,  John  T.,  VI,  226 

Legislation,  1809-1830,  II,  90;  1835-7, 
221;   of  1871,  III,  220 

Legislative  apportionment,  in  1818,  I, 
347 

"Legislative  Farmers'  Club",  III,  220 

Legislative  session,  first,  Illinois-Terri- 
tory of  First  Class,  I,  264 

Legislature,  of  1816-17,  I,  321;  state- 
hood petition,  324;  of  1818,  428;  of 
1826-27,  II,  62;  of  1838,  235;  appro- 
priations of,  236;  of  1838-39,  238; 
1863,  III,  26,  270 

Legg,   Achalis  M.,  V,  412 

Legg,  Clark  L.,  V,  413 

Legris,  Frederic  E.,  V,  225 

Leigh,  Edward  B.,  V,  402 

Le  Mai,  II,  100 

Lemen,  James,  I,  367;   391 

Lemen,  James  Jr.,  I,  336 

Leonard,  Calvin,  II,  189 

Le  Seure,  Ernest  X.,  VI,  114 

Levens,  Henry,  I,  400 

Lewis,  Fletcher,  V,  254 

Lewis,  Harold  C,  V,  375 

Lewis,  Harry  A.,  V,  142 

Lewis,  John  W.,  VI,  292 

Lewis,  Meriwether,  I,  403 

Lewis,  Thurlow  G.,  VI,  94 

Lewis  and  Clark  expedition,  I,  403 

Levy,  Isaac  K.,  VI,  353 

Liberal  Republican  party,  III,  159 

Liberty  loans,  III,  350 

Libraries,  III,  432 

Library  Extension  Division,  IV,  33 

Liebau,  Carl  L.,  IV,  207 

"Life  and  Times  of  Ninian  Edwards", 
I,  263 

Light,  Austin,  III,  65 

Lillard,  Joseph,  I,  367 

Lime  kilns,  old,  II,  85 

Limestones,  I,  13 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  II,  151 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  (facsimile  of  bill  in 
handwriting  of),  161;  224,  260,  265, 
382,  398;  472;  in  Springfield,  484; 
elected  president,  489;  cabinet,  490; 
inaugural  address,  491;  visits  mother, 
492;   farewell   to   Springfield,   492;    in 


Washington,  494,  III,  9,  51,  102;  birth- 
day observance,  318 

Lincoln-Douglas  debates,  II,  262,  372, 
387;  the  challenge,  403;  newspaper 
comment,  404;  preparations  for,  406; 
reports  of,  407;  at  Ottawa,  408;  at 
Freeport,  409;  at  Jonesboro,  410;  at 
Charleston,  414;  at  Galesburg,  416;  at 
Quincy,  416;  at  Alton,  417;  opinions 
of,  418;  at  Freeport,  420 

Lincoln  Tomb,  Springfield,  (illustration) 
III,  63 

Lind,  Frederick  A.,  VI,  295 

Lindauer,  Hilmar   C,   VI,  71 

Linder,  Usher  F.,  II,  224;  IV,  365 

Lindley,  Walter  C,  VI,  5 

Lindsey,  Richard  V.,  V,  138 

Lippencott,  Charles  E.,  Ill,   161 

Lippincott,  Thomas,  II,  38 

Lish,  Ira  M.,  V,  262 

Little,  John  S.,  V,  46 

Livesay,  George  M.,  VI,  249 

Live  stock,  III,  180;  wool  growing,  202; 
hogs,  202;  412,  413 

Loans,  World  War,  III,  350 

Lock  and  Dams  at  Lockport,  (illustra- 
tion) III,  173 

Lockwood,  Samuel  D.,  II,  37,  66,  332 

Lodge,  William  F.,  V,  408 

Loellke,   William   F.,  V,  105 

Loess  soils,  I,  22 

"Log  Cabin  and  Hard  Cider",  II,  263 

Log  Cabin  Campaign,  II,  263 

"Log  colleges",  III,  372 

Log    houses,    building    of,    I,    448 

Logan,  Charles  H.,  Sr.,  V,  380 

Logan,  Gusta  E.,  VI,  135 

Logan,  John,  II,  224;  III,  62 

Logan,  John  A.,  II,  151;  Home  of,  illus- 
tration) 415;  III,  17;  (illustration)  18; 
20,  62,  154,  158 

Logan,  Stephen  T.,  II,  478;  III,  102,  333 

Logan,  William  S.,  VI,  135 

Lohman,  George  W.,  VI,  256 

Long,  Simeon  E.,  IV,  161 

Long  Nine,  II,  228 

Longfellow,  Earl  L.,  V,  110 

Looking  Glass  Prairie,  I,  407 

Loomis,  John  M.,  Ill,  61 

Loper,   Harry  T.,   IV,  44 

Lord,  John  B.,  VI,  3 

Lorenzen,  Anton  F.,  VI,  203 

Losantiville,  I,  232 

Lost  Speech  (Lincoln's),  II,  383 

Lotteries,  II,  217 

Lotus  Pond  near  Chillicothe,  II,  119 

Louisiana,  granted  to  Crozat,  I,  112 

Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  Illinois 
exhibits,  III,  264 

Love,  Minnie  B.,  IV,  246 


xliv 


INDEX 


Lovejoy,  Elijah  P.,  II,  158,  162,  163, 
167;  last  appeal  of,  180;  newspaper 
office  mobbed,  182;  death  of,  184;  IV,  9 

Lovejoy,  Owen,  II,  184;  (illustration) 
185;  IV,  9 

Lowden,  Frank  O.,  Ill,  289;  (illustra- 
tion) 290;  311,  328,  343,  351  425;  V, 
354 

Lowe,  Ausby  L.,  VI,  233 

Lowe,  Leo  H.,  IV,  143 

Lowenstein,   Claude,   IV,    182 

Lowenstein,  Henry  P.,  V,  401 

Lowenstein,  Isaac,  VI,  259 

Lowenstein,  Louis,  VI,  165 

Lower,  William   H.,  IV,  118 

Lowrie,  Richard,  V,  375 

Lucas,  Scott  W.,  V,  137 

Lucey,  Patrick  J.,  IV,  15 

Luck,  Charles  H.,  V,  11 

Ludens,  Harrv  J.,  IV,  155 

Ludlow,  Thomas  W.,  II,  463 

Luecke,  Fred  H.,  VI,  430 

Luft,  Nicholas,  V,  123 

Lumbering,  I,  30,  362 

Lunsford,  George,  I,  405 

Lusk's  Ferry,  I,  406 

Lutz,  Gustave  A.,  IV,  186 

Lyerla,  Orville  W.,  VI,  246 

Lyford,  Will  H.,  V,  142 

Lynch,  John,  V,  416 

Lynch,  John  A.,  V,  370 

Lynch,  William  F.,  Ill,  68 

Lynn,   Herschell   V.,  VI,  334 

Lyon,  William  I.,  VI,  298 

Lyons,  Richard  J.,  VI,  154 

McAdoo,  William  G.,  Ill,  350 
McAllister,  Edward,  III,  87 
McArthur,  John,  III,  57 
McBride,  Charles,  IV,  262 
McCaleb,   Albert  G.,  V,  24 
McCalmont,  Samuel  M.,  IV,  289 
McCarthy,  Richard,  I,  405 
McCarty,  Donovan  D.,  VI,  336 
McCartv,  Joseph  W.,  V,   126 
McCarty,  William  A.,  VI,  254 
McCawley,  Addie  Q.,  VI,  266 
McCawley,  Walter,  VI,  266 
McChesney,  Waters  W.,  Ill,  81 
McClellan,  George  B.,  (illustration)  III,  54 
McClelland,  Thomas,  V,  402 
McClernand,  John  A.,  II,  152,  224,  341 
McClure,  Samuel,  I,  389 
McCollum,  Harvey  D.,  VI,  346 
McConnell,   Murray,  II,   152 
McCord,  Miller  S.,  V,  206 
McCordic,  Alfred  E.,  VI,  75 
McCordic,  Fletcher  L.,  VI,  75 
McCormack,  J.  W.,  VI,  227 
McCormick,  Cyrus  H.,  Ill,  194;  (illustra- 
tion)  197;   IV,  389 


McCormick,    Medill,   IV,    12 
McCormick,  William  H.  B.,  V,  12 
McCoy,  Annie  M.,  IV,  176 
McCoy,  Gilbert,  IV,  37 
McCoy,  James  S.,  IV,  176 
McCoy,  John  H.,  IV,  216 
McCrae,  John,  III,  321 
McCulloch,  David,  IV,  228 
McCulloch,  Edward  D.,  IV,  230 
McCulloch  Family,  IV,  228 
McDavid,  Horace  W.,  IV,  188 
McDermaid,  William  H.,  V,  288 
McDonald,  Burt  A.,  V,  74 
McDowell,  James  L.,  VI,  231 
McDowell,  John  W.,  IV,  153 
McEvoy,  John  H.,  IV,  220 
McFadden,  James  L.,  IV,  411 
McFadden,  John  H.,  V,  267 
McFatridge,    William,    I,   337 
McGee,  John  A.,  VI,  150 
McGinnis,  John  F.,  Jr.,  V,  79 
McGonagil,  Theodore,  VI,  188 
McGready,  James,  I,  369 
McGrew,  William  A.,  VI,  304 
McHatton,  Charles  F.,  V,  36 
McHenry,  William,  I,  338 
Mcllvaine,  Caroline  M.,  V,  362 
Mclnerney,  John  L.,  V,  81 
Mclnnes,  Mae   D.,   IV,  409 
McKeaig,  George  W.,  Ill,  79 
McKee,  David,  II,  106 
McKendree  (Bishop),  I,  368;  III,  113 
McKendree,  William,  IV,  389 
McKendree  College,  II,  301,  303;  V,  388 
McKenzie,  D.  A.,  VI,  327 
McKernon,  William  R.,  VI,  331 
McKinlay,  Marie,  VI,  92 
McKinlay,  Robert  L.,  VI,  91 
McKinley,  Clyde  D.  V.,  IV,  304 
McKinley,  William  B.,  VI,  18 
McKinney,  James  W.,  VI,  407 
McKinney,  Thomas  H.,  V,  232 
McLaughlin,  Charles,  IV,  237 
McLean,  John,  I,  443;  II,  36,  64 
McLean,  William  T.,  IV,  123 
McMahon,   Charles   C,  IV,   247 
McMillan,  J.  C,  VI,  205 
McMinn,  James  N.,  VI,  146 
McMurtry,  William,   III,   76 
McNabb,   James,   VI,   39 
McNamee,  Peter  F.,  V,  14 
McNeill,  Corbin  A.,  IV,  400 
McNeill,  L.  R.,  VI,  110 
McPherson,  Charles  W.,  V,  202 
McPherson,  Donald  F.,  VI,  68 
McRoberts,   Samuel,   II,  35 
McRoberts,  William  G.,  IV,   165 
McWilliams,    David,    V,    364 
McWilliams,   Edward,  V,  365 
Maass,  J.  Edward,  V,  52 
Mack,  Alonzo,  III,  71 


INDEX 


xlv 


Macarty,  Chevalier  de,  I,  136 

MacChesney,  Nathan  W.,  VI,  20 

MacCracken,  William  P.,  Jr.,  VI,  123 

Macnamara,  Homer  P.,  IV,  232 

Macon  County  Court  House,  first  (illus- 
tration), II,  363 

Madison,  Relly,  III,  88 

Madison  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343;  first  school,  372 

Magill,  Ansel  0.,  IV,  191 

Magill,  Samuel  R.,  IV,  87 

Mahr,  Robert  L.,  IV,  294 

Mail  order  concerns,  III,  225 

Mail   routes,   early,   II,   215 

Main,  Rufus  H.,  VI,  218 

Mangham,  John  K.,  I,  339 

Manierre,  George,  IV,  357 

Mann,  Elizabeth  M.  T.,  V,  400 

Mann,    Joseph,    V,    112 

Mansfield,    Henry,   IV,   263 

Mansion  House,  Belleville,  (illustration) 
II,  307 

Manuel,  negro,  burned  to  death,  I,  202 

Manufacturing;  I,  361;  infancy  of,  II, 
297 

Manufacturers,  III,  104;  agricultural  im- 
plements, 105,  415 

Manufacturing  centers,  III,  417 

"March  of  the  Spaniards  Across  Illi- 
nois", I,  207 

Marcy,  Milton  S.,  IV,  35 

"Marine  Settlement",  I,  337 

Marion   Carnegie   Library,  VI,  406 

Marissa  Township  High  School,  VI,  313 

Mark,  Clayton,  VI,  183 

Marker  at  site  of  Jonesboro  Debate, 
(illustration)  II,  411 

Marketing,  cooperative,  III,  228 

Marks,  Francis  A.,  VI,  408 

Marquette,  Father,  I,  66,  (illustration) 
71;  journey  to  Mississippi,  72;  re- 
turn journey,  76;  in  Chicago,  78; 
death  of,  79,  256;  II,  98 

Marquis,  C.  C,  V,  268 

Marsh,  C.  Carroll,  III,  60 

Marsh,  Jason,  III,  71 

Marsh  harvester,  III,  195 

Marshall,  Charles  B.,  IV,  110 

Marshall,  John,  first  banker  in  Illinois, 
I,  305 

Marshall  (John)  Residence,  in  Shawnee- 
town,    (illustration)    I,   304 

Marshall,  John  A.,  VI,  164 

Marshall,  Samuel  S.,  IV,  389 

Marshall,  Thomas  A.,  Ill,  84 

Marshall,  W.  A.,  II,  224 

Marshall  black  clay  loam,  I,  22 

Martin,  Colfax  T.,  V,  86 

Martin,  Frank  W.,  V,  104 

Martin,  James  S.,  Ill,  78 

Martin,  John  W.,  VI,  58 


Martin,   Ransom   S.,  V,  389 

Maryland's  demand,  I,  220 

Mascoutin   Indians,  I,  51 

Mason,  Edward  G.,  IV,  393 

Mason,  R.  B.,  Ill,  174 

"Masque  of  Illinois,  The",  III,  339 

Massacres,  first  of  American  settlers,  I, 
389 

Masters,  Nick  A.,  V,  375 

Mastodons,  II,  201 

Matheny,  Charles  R.,  I,  368,  393;  III, 
102 

Mather,  Thomas,  II,  38 

Mather,  Thomas  S.,  Ill,  88 

Matteson,  Joel  A.,  IV,  394 

Matthew,  John  B.,  IV,  174 

Matthew,  William  O.,  IV,  175 

Mattis,  Ross  R.,  VI,  60 

Maurer,    Benjamin   L.,   IV,   125 

Maurer,  Charles  J.,  IV,  220 

Maxwell,  Oliver  G.,  V,  106 

May,  William  H.,  V,  161 

Mayer,   Levy,   III,    363 

Mazir,  Francis  S.,  IV,  99 

Meat   packing,    III,    416 

Meckel,  J.  C,  V,  51 

Medill,  Joseph,  II,  478;  III,  125;  (illus- 
tration)   126;   156 

Meeker,  Samuel  G.,  IV,  261 

Meeting  at  Ripon,  Wisconsin,  II,  366 

Meisinger,   Adam,  VI,   153 

Meisinger,  Matilda  P.,  VI,  154 

Meixner,    Fred    M.    F.,    IV,    30 

Memorable  year  in  American  history, 
I,  217 

Memorial  Stadium,  University  of  Illi- 
nois,  (illustration)   III,  352 

Menard,  Pierre,  I,  150;  mansion  of  (illus- 
tration) 354;  390,  444;  III,  376 

Mendota  Times,  III,  34 

Menz,  John  B.,  V,  33 

Menzemer,  Edwin  J.,  IV,  410 

Merick,  Wendell  S.,  VI,  112 

Mermet,  Father,  I,  117,  256 

Merritt,  Wesley,  IV,  395 

Mertz,  Albert  A.,  IV,  206 

Messenger,  John,  I,  336,  372,  387;  III, 
376 

Messozoic  Era,  I,  11 

Methodist  colleges,  II,  301 

Methodists,  I,  260,  367;  II,  87 

Metzger,  Andrew  C,  VI,  114 

Metzger,  Paul  H.,  V,  89 

Mexican  War,  Illinois  in,  II,  310;  call  to 
arms,  311;  Illinois  organization  for, 
313;  regiments,  313;  praise  won  by 
Illinois  troops,  320;  James  Shields' 
brigade,  320;  return  of  Illinois  troops, 
321 

Mexican  war  soldier,  (illustration)  II, 
312 


xlvi 


INDEX 


Meyer,  Agnes  E.  W.,  V,  428 

Meyer,  Carl  F.,  V,  428 

Meyer,  W.  Ernest,  V,  25 

Meyer,  Walter  W.  L.,  VI,  308 

Meyers,   D.    S.,   Jr.,   Ill,  369 

Michael,   William    H.,    V,   251 

Michigami  Indians,  I,  49 

Michigan  Boulevard,  Chicago,  (illustra- 
tion)  III,  421 

Middlesworth,   Abram,  VI,   215 

Middlesworth,  W.  S.,  VI,  215 

Mier,  Fred  A.,  V,  381 

Miles,  Coleman,  V,  308 

Miley,   George   M.,   VI,   194 

Military  campaigns  in  Illinois,  1812,  I, 
287;  in  1813,  287;  in  1814,  288 

Military  organization;  infantry,  III,  56; 
cavalry,  84;  artillery,  87 

Military  Tract,  II,  116 

Military  Training  Camps:  Association, 
VI,  143 

Militia,  called  1831-32,  II,  126;  in  World 
War,  III,  343 

Milk,   III,  413 

Mill,  early,  near  Kaskaskia,  I,  125 

Miller,  Allen  H.,  IV,  86 

Miller,  Allie  P.,  V,  210 

Miller,  Andrew  J.,  V,  210 

Miller,  August  W.,  IV,  346 

Miller,  Charles  H.,  VI,  227 

Miller,  Fred  B.,  VI,  424 

Miller,  George  W.,  V,  89 

Miller,  Henry  G.,  V,  421 

Miller,  John  B.,  Ill,  88 

Miller,  John  S.,  V,  90 

Miller,  Llewellyn  W.,  V,  52 

Milligan,  C.  W.,  IV,  255 

Millikin  National  Bank,  IV,  416 

Mills,  Luther  L.,  IV,  358 

Mills,  Samuel,  I,  368 

Mineral  resources,  I,  26 

Mines  and  Minerals  Department,  III, 
292,  295 

Minority  representation,  General  Assem- 
bly, III,  135 

Minton,  Ace.  B.,  V,  335 

Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 
I,  78 

Mississippi  River,  I,  32;  discovery  of, 
70;  from  Water  Tower,  Chester,  (illus- 
tration) II,  9 

Mississippian  system,  I,  14 

Missouri  Compromise,  II,  158,  366;  re- 
peal of,  367;  376,  387 

Mitchell,  Arthur  J.,  IV,  329 

Mitchell,  Frank  A.,  VI,  109 

Mitchell,  James  C,  VI,  102 

Mitchell,  James  E.,  V,  357 

Mitchell,  John  J.,  IV,  3 

Mitchell,  John  M.,  VI,  122 


Mitchell,   Leeds,   V,   130 

Mitchell,  William  G.,  IV,  430 

Mitchell,  William  H.,  IV,  358 

Modern  barns  and  silos,  (illustration) 
III,  198 

Modert,  Alson  W.,  VI,  337 

Moffatt,  Aquila,  IV,  50 

Moline,  III,  102 

Molthrop,  Charles  P.,  IV,  345 

Molz,  Charles  O.,  V,  234 

Monbreun,  Sieur  de,  I,  215 

Money,  James,  III,  80 

Money  and  banks,  I,   439 

Monk's  Mound,  near  East  St.  Louis, 
(illustration)  I,  19;  407 

Monroe,  Edward  N.,  V,  110 

Monroe,  Nathaniel  S.,  VI,  103 

Monroe  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343 

Monson,   Leon  A.,  IV,   164 

Montelius,  Joseph  K.,  VI,  371 

Montgomery,  Clinton  L.,  IV,  185 

Montgomery,  Eugene  W.,  VI,  413 

Montgomery,   James   M.,   IV,   142 

Montgomery,  John,  I,  405 

Montgomery,  Mary  B.,  IV,  142 

Montgomery,    Samuel,    IV,   260 

Montgomery  Ward  and  Company,  III, 
225 

Monty,  Hilda  B.,  VI,  286 

Monty,  Joseph,  VI,  286 

Moore,  Abraham  B.,  Ill,  76 

Moore,  Charles  A.,  IV,  395 

Moore,  Charles  W.,  Ill,  325;  V,  170 

Moore,  Enoch,   I,  338 

Moore,  Harriett  E.  D.,  IV,  395 

Moore,  Ira,  III,  118 

Moore,  James,  I,  258,  371,  393 

Moore,  Jesse  H.,  Ill,  78 

Moore  John,  II,  224 

Moore,  John  B.,  VI,  422 

Moore,  Risdon  M.,  Ill,  79 

Moore,  Robert   S.,  Ill,  73 

Moralee,  Matthew  M.,  V,  332 

Moran,  William  E.,  IV.  153 

Morey,  Charles  W.,  VI,  80 

Morgan,  Carl  P.,  V,  307 

Morgan,  H.  Edward,  VI,  188 

Morgan,  Lewis  C,  VI,  98 

Morgan  (County)  Journal,  II,  376 

Mormons,  II,  268;  origin  of  religion, 
269;  Book  of  The,  272;  Church  or- 
ganized, 273;  politics,  276;  Temple  at 
Nauvoo,  (illustration)  277;  280;  Gov- 
ernor Ford's  intervention,  285;  settle- 
ment at  Nauvoo,  290;  exodus  of,  293; 
war,  293. 

Moro,  Francis,  III,  69 

Morrill,  John,  III,  69 

Morris,  Buckner  S.,  Ill,  41 


INDEX 


xlvii 


Morris,  George,  VI,  254 

Morris.  Governeur,  II,  463 

Morris,  John  S.,  V,  403 

Morris,  Mary  B.,  Ill,  39 

Morris  Paper  Mills,  IV,  422 

Morrison,  James  L.  D.,  IV  396 

Morrison,  Mrs.  Robert,  I,  395 

Morrison,  William,  I,  260,  395 

Morrison,  William  R.,  Ill,  67 

Morse,  Cleveland,  V,  205 

Morse  Samuel  G.,  I,  339 

Mortar  boats,  Civil  War,  III,  44 

Morton,  Galen  W.,  IV,  312 

Morton,  Joy,  VI,  112 

Moser,  Samuel,  IV,  60 

Moses,  Thomas,  IV,  406 

Moss,  Alice  S.  M.,  V,  207 

Moss,  Arthur  H.,  V,  207 

Moss,  William  R.,  V,  23 

Mott,  John  F.,  IV,  90 

Moulton,  S.  W.,  Ill,  118 

Mounce,  Oscar  B.,  IV,  158 

Mortar  boats,  Civil  war,  III,  44 

Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,  II,  86 

Mount  Vernon,  I,  420 

Mount  Vernon  Daily  Register  News,  V, 
289 

Mount  Vernon  Printing  Company,  VI, 
94 

Mourning,  Paul  W.,  V,  114 

Move  toward  separation,  I,  252 

Moynihan,  John  J.,  V,  383 

Moynihan,  Patrick  H.,  VI,  376 

Muckelroy,  R.  E.,  IV,  422 

Mudd,  William  A.,  IV,  273 

Mudge,  Dick  H.,  V,  51 

Mueller,  Adolph,  V,  351 

Mueller,  Erhardt,  IV,  159 

Mueller,  Paul  F.,  IV,  334 

Mueller  Manufacturing  Company,  V, 
352 

Mulligan,  James  A.,  Ill,  60;  IV,  394 

"Municipal  Farming",  III,  356 

Murdoch,  Stuart  M.,  V,  15 

Murdock,  Robert,  V,  228 

Murphy,  Daniel  J.,  V,  128 

Murphy,  James  W.,  IV,  22 

Murphy,  John  B.,  IV,  358 

Murphy,  John  S.,  V,  366 

Murphy,  Kenneth  M.,  V,  367 

Murphysboro:  III,  404;  following  tor- 
nado   of    1925,    (illustration)    III,    405 

Murphysboro  Paving  Brick  Company,  VI, 
381 

Murray,  Hugh  V.,  VI,  411 

Murray,  John,  I,  169 

Musselman,  D.  L.,  VI,  26 

Musselman,    Ernest,    IV,    132 

Myer,  Raymond  P.,  V,  185 

Myers,   Clarence  A.,  V,   51 

Myers,  Fred  C,  VI,  77 


Nadig,  Anton  T.,  V,  308 

Nash,  John  J.,  IV,  332 

National  Banking  Law,  II,  360 

National  Democratic  Convention,  1864, 
III,  53 

National  expansion,  II,  7 

National  Republican  Convention,  Chi- 
cago, 1860,  II,  478;  1872,  III,  160 

National  road,  The,  I,  413;  II,  206 

Natural  unity  in  State,  I,  34 

Naughton,  Patrick,  III,  90 

Nauvoo,  II,  275;  City  charter,  278 

"Nauvoo  House  Association",  II,  278 

Navigation,  early  inland,  II,  208 

Neal,  David  A.,  II,  463 

Neely,  George  W.,  Ill,  81 

Neff,  Alexander  W.,  VI,  262 

Neff,  Calvin  V.,  IV,  420 

Negro  Servitude  in  Illinois,  II,  30 

Negroes,  I,  204;  act  respecting,  1819, 
435 

Neighbour,  Lambert  B.,  IV,  257 

Nelson,  Edgar,  VI,  346 

Nelson,  Frank  G.,  V,  249 

Nelson,  G.  Edward,  VI,  388 

Nelson,  Jack,  V,  29 

New  Athens  Community  High  School, 
VI,  411 

New  Design,  I,  258 

New  France,  first  Bishop  in,  I,  66 

New  Scotland  lime  beds,  I,  14 

Newberry,  Walter  L.,  IV,  396 

Newbold,  Joseph  H.,  Ill,  34 

Newell,  Moses  E.,  VI,  65 

Newland,  H.  W.,  Ill,  41 

Newlin,  Enoch  E.,  VI,  229 

Newspapers,  in  pioneer  period,  I,  381; 
stand  on  slavery  question,  II,  45; 
early,  78;  oldest  known  copy  of  an 
Illinois  publication,  (illustration)  79; 
378;  in  Civil  War,  III,  32 

Niagara  limestone,  I,  13 

Nichols,  Edward  S.,  V,  334 

Nichols,  Judson  D.,  V,  400 

Nichols,  Samuel  W.,  VI,  379 

Nicholson,  John  J.,  V,  359 

Nicholson,  W.  J.,  V,  11 

Nicolay,  John  G.,  IV,  396 

Niedringhaus,  George  W.,  VI,  412 

Nierstheimer,  Adolph,  Jr.,  IV,  124 

Niess,  John,  VI,  311 

"Nigger  Spring",  II,  188 

Niles,  Nathan,  III,  81 

Nimmo,  Alexander  J.,  Ill,  77 

Nine  Mile  Creek,  I,  408 

Nineteenth  Amendment,  III,  433 

Nischwitz,  Edmund  P.,  V,  123 

Nixon,  George  F.,  V,  349 

Nixon,  William  P.,  IV,  395 

Noble,    Silas,   III,   84 

Norbury,  Frank  P.,  VI,  355 


xlviii 


INDEX 


Norbury  Sanatorium,  VI,  360 

Nordell,  Mauritz   P.,  VI,  72 

Normal  school,  first,  III,  386;  American, 

396 
North,  George,  VI,  142 
North,  Marcus,  V,  75 
Northam,  Martin  K.,  VI,  176 
Northern  Cross  Railroad,  II,  232;  240 
Northwest   Territory;   immigration   into, 

I,    236;    delegate    from,    241;    divided, 

242 
Norton,  Burton  W.,  V,  281 
Norton,  Jesse  O.,  IV,  396 
Notre    Dame    de    Cascasquias,    (village) 

I,  160 

Nuveen,  John,  V,  186 
Nystrom,  Elmer  E.,  IV,  19 

Oakes,  James,  III,  33 

Oakford,  Aaron  S.,  IV,  78 

Oatman,  Charles  R.,  V,  10 

O'Brien,  Edwin  C,  VI,  223 

Observer,    The,    new    code    of,    II,    168; 

moved  to  Alton,  174 
O'Connor,  Martin  E.,  IV,  148 
O'Connor,   Thomas   P.,   Ill,   322 
O'Donnell,  Thomas,  VI,  65 
Officers'  Training  Camps,  III,  347,  348 
Ogden,  William  B.,  IV,  358 
Ogle,  Benjamin,  I,   400 
Ogle,  Joseph,  I,  367 
Oglesby,  John  G.,  Ill,  337,  363,  365 
Oglesby,  Joseph,  I,  368 
Oglesby,  Richard  J.,  II,  478;  III,  50,  57, 

161;    IV,   365 
O'Hair,  Frank  T.,  V,  5 
Ohio  Company  of  Associates,  I,  223 
Ohio  Land  Company,  I,  132 
Ohio   River,   I,   33;    near   Elizabethtown, 

(illustration)    II,   61 
Ohio  Salt  Works,  I,  407 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad  Company, 

II,  350 
Oil,  III,  420 
Olander,  V.  A.,  Ill,  363 

Old  Brownsville,  house  built  about  1830, 
(illustration)   II,  93 

"Old   Citizen"   party,   II,    281 

Old  Congress,  I,  239 

Old  Kaskaskia,  III,  327 

Old  National  Road,  at  Salt  Creek,  (illus- 
tration)  I,  413 

Old  Riley  Mill,  I,  261 

Old  State  House  in  Kaskaskia,  (illustra- 
tion)   I,   295 

Old-time  residence,  near  Pinckneyville, 
(illustration)  I,  268 

O'Leary,  Arthur,  III,  88 

Olin,  Frederick  W.,  IV,  427 

Olin,  John  M.,  VI,  391 

Oliver,  Frederick  S.,  IV,  344 


Oliver,  John  H.,  IV,  263 

O'Loughlin,   Daniel  J.,  VI,   278 

Olson,  Walter  A.,  IV,  107 

O'Meara,  Timothy,  III,  74 

O'Melveny,   Samuel,   I,   338 

O'Neal,  James,  V,  255 

Onstott,  John  N.,  IV,  324 

Opeka,  Frank  M.,  V,  231 

Orchard  Creek  shale,  I,  14 

Orchards,  III,  418 

Ordinance  of  1784-1785,  I,  220;  1784, 
weakness  of,  222 

Ordinance  of  1785,  I,  415 

Ordinance  of  1787,  I,  217,  224;  provi- 
sions of,  225,  246;  III,  374,  433 

O'Reilly,  Charles  A.,  VI,  52 

Orine,  William  W.,  Ill,  75 

Ormsby,  Oscar  B.,  V,  363 

O'Rourke,  Joseph,  V,  73 

Orr,  George  L.,  IV,  38 

Orr,  Loran  E.,  V,  132 

Osland,  Birger,  IV,  341 

Ostendorf,  Francis  J.,  IV,  419 

Ostrander,  Roy  J.,  V,  268 

Ostrom,  Bernard  S.,  IV,  26 

O'Sullivan,  Joseph,  V,  204 

Otey,  Charles,  VI,  425 

Otey,  James  F.,  VI,  424 

Otrich,  Charles  O.,  V,  204 

Ottawa,  I,  420;  III,  99 

Ottawa  Debate,  II,  408 

Otte,  Hugo  E.,  V,  72 

Ottis,  Daniel   M.,  IV,  149 

Ouilmette,  Antoine,  I,  151 

"Our  Illinois",  Centennial  hymn,  III,  301 

Owens,  Alfred  E.,  IV,  102 

Oxford,  John  C,  VI,  232 

"Pack  peddler",  I,  379 

Page,  Joseph  M.,  VI,  31 

Paget,  Pax,  I,  262 

Pagon,  David,  I,  405 

Paine,  Eleazer  A.,  Ill,  57 

Paine,   Wilbur   H.,  IV,  238 

Paleozoic   Era,  I,   11 

Palestine,  I,  421 

Palmer,  John  A.,  II,  383 

Palmer,  John  M.,  II,  330;    (illustration) 

331;  478;  III,  50,  58,  121,  152,  159,  174, 

218 
Palmer,    Potter,    III,    239;    (illustration) 

243;   IV,  393 
Panic  of  1837,  II,  238 
Pantelis,  Athanasius  A.,  V,  25 
Park,  Martha,  V,  279 
Parker,  Harry  S.,  VI,  310 
Parker,  James  H.,  IV,  159 
Parker,  James  W.,  IV,  58 
Parker,  Lula  M.,  IV,  159 
Parkinson,  Robert  H.,  V,  19 
Parks,  Lawson  A.,  IV,  395 


INDEX 


xlix 


Parks,   Nannie   G.,  VI,   407 
Parrish,   III,  406 
Parrish,  LaFayette,  VI,  93 
Parrish,  Melvin  P.,  IV,  25 
Parsons,  Claude  V.,  V,  178 
Parsons,  Fernando  A.,  IV,  327 
Parsons,  Herbert  E.,  IV,  180 
Parsons,  Samuel  H.,  I,  223 
Partridge's  Town,  I,  407 
Party  politics,  II,  251;  in  Illinois,  254 
Paterson,  Robert  W.,  I,  374 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  III,  214 
Patterson,  James  A.,  V,   346 
Patterson,  Robert  W.,  I,  422 
Patton,  Charles   L.,  IV,   198 
Patton,  Grover  C,  VI,  394 
Paulissen,  John  G.,  VI,  301 
Pautler,   Nicholas   B.,  VI,   106 
Payne,  Edward  W.,  IV,  212 
Peabody,  Francis  S.,  VI,  335 
Peabody,  Stuyvesant,  VI,  336 
Peak,  George  J.,  VI,  175 
Pearce,  Clarence  A.,  VI,  368 
Pearce,  Ebenezer  J.,  V,  292 
Pearce,  Franklin  B.,  V,  181 
Pearce,  Joe  A.  VI,  245 
Pearce,  Prince  A.,  VI,  244 
Pearce,  Raymond  B.}  V,  168 
\  Pearsons,  Daniel  K.,  IV,  396  - 
PeckTJofrnr  *r-3£64-n^3QA_^ 
Peck,  John  F.,  VI,  353 
Peck,   John   M.,   I,   384;    II,   37,   89;    III, 

382 
Pekin,  III,  104 
Pelhank,  Henry  H.,  V,  394 
Peltz,  Ralph  C,  IV,  54 
Pemberton,  John,  V,  97 
Pence,  C.  N.,  VI,  393 
Pendleton,  George  H.,  Ill,  153 
Penitentiary,  II,  97 
Penniman,   David    B.,  V,   278 
Pennsylvanian  system,  I,  15 
Peoria,  I,  87;  III,  102 
Peoria  Indians,  I,  49 
Peoria   Public  Library,  IV,  189 
Period  of  anarchy,  I,  204 
Permanent  settlements,  I,  109 
Perrin,  Frank,  VI,  49 
Perry,  Edward  O.,  IV,  204 
Pervier,  Clayton  C,  IV,  166 
Peters,  Daniel  R.,  V,  48 
Petersburg    Canning    Works,    V,    167 
Petersen,  Edward  A.,  V,  272 
Peterson,   P.   A.   IV,   402 
Petroleum,  I,  38 
Pettis,  H.  S.,  V,  413 
Petty,  Ray   H.,  VI,  338 
Peverley,  Edward  E.,  Jr.,  V,  277 
Pheasant    breeding    pens,    State    Game 

Farm,  Yorkville,   (illustration)   II,  233 
Phelps,  Charles  A.,  V,  109 


Philbrook,  Elwood  L.,  IV,  17 
Philbrook,  Emma  K.,  IV,  17 
Phillippe,  David  A.,  VI,  66 
Phillippe,  Rachel  J.  H.,  VI,  66 
Phillips,  Jesse  J.,  IV,  396 
Phillips,  John  C,  III,  89 
Phillips,  John  D.,  IV,   105 
Phillips,  John  L.,  IV,  245 
Phillips,  Joseph,  II,  36 
Phillips,  Thadeus,  III,  81 
Physical  basis  of  Illinois'  greatness,  I,  24 
Physical  environment,  analysis  of,  I,  25 
Physicians,  first  in  Illinois,  II,  13 
Piankeshaw  Indians,  I,  51 
Piasa  Bird,  I,  73;  (illustration)  74 
Piasa  Bluffs,  I,  406 

Piasa  Chautauqua,   (illustration)   II,  119 
Pickett,  Thomas  C,  III,  81 
Pierce,  Charles  I.,  V,  173 
Pierce,  Cyrus,  III,  396 
Pierce,  J.  Norman,  VI,  314 
Piggott,  James,  I,  405 
Pike,  Albert  E.,  VI,  158 
Pike,  Charles  B.,  V,  154 
Pin  oak,  Hamilton  County,  (illustration) 
II,  214 

Pines  near  Polo,   (illustration)   II,  146 
Pinkerton,  Allan,  V,  362 
Pinkney,  Clara  P.,  IV,  333 
Pinkney,  Israel  C,  IV,  332 
"Pioneer",  Railroad  engine  (illustration), 
II,  355 

Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,  Reynolds,  I, 
199 

Pioneers,  I,  357;  economic  conditions, 
359;  religious  life,  365;  housekeeping, 
377;  sociability,  378;  amusements,  379; 
farmers,  II,  296 

Piotrowski,  N.  L.,  V,  101 

Pittman,  Philip,  I,  159 

Plant,  Arthur  H.,  VI,  302 

Piatt,  Henry  R.,  VI,  74 

Plattville  limestone,  I,  13 

Plural  marriages,  II,  286 

Politics:  factional,  I,  316;  expansion,  II, 
10;  early  parties,  51;  slavery  question, 
158;  canvass,  1834,  204;  log  rolling, 
227,  251;  convention  system  in  Illinois, 
256;  Mormon,  276;  318;  1853,  365; 
1860,  477;  1861,  III,  23;  in  1864,  III, 
50;  situation  after  Civil  war,  119;  un- 
rest, 149;  farmer's  problem,  211;  217; 
spoils,  284 

Pollard,  Aaron,  IV,  310 

Pont  au  Sable,  Jean  Baptiste,  II,  100 

Pontiac;    assassinated,   I,   257;   383 

Pontiac's  War,  I,  140 

Pope,  Nathaniel,  I,  263;  (illustration), 
325;  384;  II,  63,  65;  III,  375;  377 


1 


INDEX 


Pope  County,  population  in  1818,  I,  343; 
1760,  217;  in  1818,  343;  distribution  of, 
356;  1820,  1830,  414;  centers,  418;  ex- 
pansion, II,  14;  distribution  of,  82; 
(map)  83;  257;  growth  in,  299;  1840, 
1850,  352;  III,  97;  1860-1870,  98;  sta- 
tistics, 1870,  115 

Porter,  George  H.,  IV,  350 

Postal  rates,  III,  350 

Pottawatomie  Indians,  I,  51 

Potter,  Ben  H.,  IV,  85 

Potter,  George  M.,  V,  366 

Potter,  John  W.,  IV,  85 

Potts,  Clarence  E.,  VI,  30 

Powder  Magazine  at  Old  Fort  Chartres, 
(illustration)  I,  119 

Powell,  Hesakiah  K.,  VI,  306 

Powell,  John  W.,  Ill,  89 

Powers,  James  M.,  IV,  72 

Prairie  du  Rocher,  I,  121,  161,  407 

Prairie  Farmer,  III,  383 

Prairie  grass,  I,  43 

Prairies,  origin  of,  I,  41 

Preemption  law,  I,  296;  II,  91 

Prentiss,  Benjamin  M.,  Ill,  57;  IV,  396 

Presidential  candidates,  1860,  II,  477 

Presbyterian  colleges,  II,  301 

Presbyterians,  I,  368;    II,  87 

Price,  Anna  M.,  IV,  33 

Prickett,  Abraham,  I,  337 

Primitive  schoolhouses,  III,  380 

Prisons,  Civil  War,  III,  44 

Pritchett,  Thomas  W.,  IV,  43 

Proclamation  of  1763,  I,  142 

Proctor,  David  H.,  IV,  31 

Proehl,  Anna  E.  G.,  VI,  158 

Proehl,  John  D.,  VI,  157 

Proehl,  Louisa  G.,  V,  116 

Proehl,  William  A.,  V,  115 

Progress,  basis  of,  II,  296 

Prohibition,  III,  430 

Proterozoic  Era,  I,  11 

Pruitt,  Edgar  C,  IV,  202 

Przybarski,  Joseph  L.,  IV,  384 

Public   Health   Department,   III,   292 

Public    lands,   I,   218;    II,   60 

Public  School  System,  1824,  I,  417 

Public  Welfare  Department,  III,  292,  295 

Public  Works  and  Buildings  Department, 
III,  292,  295 

Pugh,  Isaac  C,  III,  65 

Pugh,  Jonathan  H.,  II,  39 

Pullman,  George  M.,  (illustration)  III, 
138;  261;  IV,  356 

Punishments,  early,  I,  380 

Purdy,  Wallace  C,  V,  371 

Purvines,  A.  N.,  IV,  152 

Puterbaugh,  Howell  J,.  IV,  240 

Puterbaugh,  J.  Hartsell,  IV,  97 

Puterbaugh,  Mary  P.,  IV,  98 

Puterbaugh,  Sabin  D.,  IV,  377 


Putman,  Floyd  F.,  V,  258 
Putnam,  Holden,  III,  74 
Putnam,  Rufus,  I,  222 
Putnam,   Rufus   W.,   VI,   217 
Pyle,  Ulys,  VI,  197 

Quebec   Act,   I,   165 

"Queen  Anne's  War,"  I,  112 

Quick,  Moses,  I,  398 

Quincy,  I,  419;  III,  98 

Quincy  Debate,  II,  416 

Quincy  Park  Scene,  (illustration)  II,  146 

Quinn,  Frank  J.,  IV,  87 

Rackaway,  J.  Edwin,  V,  289 

Railroad  and  warehouse  commission, 
1871,  III,  163;  221 

Railroad  convention,  II,  349 

Railroad  engine,  first,  in  Chicago,  (illus- 
tration)   II,  355 

Railroads,  II,  211;  first  in  Illinois,  212; 
law  for  incorporating,  348,  454;  regu- 
lating,  III,   137,   206,  209 

Railsback,  Roy  J.,  IV,  282 

Rainfall,  annual,  I,  34 

Rains,  Williams  S.,  VI,  167 

Raith,  Julius,  III,  66 

Ramsay,  Frank  D.,  IV,  162 

Ramsay,  Luther  R.,  IV,  162 

Randolph  County,  I,  237 

Randolph  County,  population  in  1818,  I, 
343 

Ranke,  Frederick  A.,  VI,  33 

Rantoul,  Robert  Jr.,  II,  463 

Ratcliff,  Glenn,  V,  304 

Rathje,  Frank  C,  VI,  79 

Raum,  John,  II,  150 

Rausch,  Jacob  W.,  V,  295 

Rauth,  Fred  W.,  IV,  237 

Rawlings  Hotel,  Shawneetown,  (illus- 
tration)  II,  72 

Rawlins,  John  A.,   IV,  371 

Ray,  George  A.,  VI,  54 

Ream,  Harry  F.,  V,  117 

"Reannexation  of  Texas  and  Fifty-four 
forty  or  Fight",  II,  310 

Reaper,  III,  194 

Reardon,  Daniel,  IV,   425 

Reardon,  James  A.,  Ill,  62 

Reardon,  William  J.,  IV,  426 

Rebman  Park,  Johnson  County,  (illus- 
tration) II,  81 

Rechner,  August,  IV,  225 

Reckhou,  Williston  E.,  VI,  382 

Rector,  Edward,  V,  430 

Rector,  Nelson,  I,  388 

Rector,  Thomas,   I,  388 

Rector,  William,  I,  387 

Recuperation,  after  Civil  War,  III,  91 

Red  Cross,  III,  365,  367,  407 

Redheffer,  Raymond  L.,  V,  27 


INDEX 


Reed,  Clark  S.,  V,  386 

Reed,  Joseph  S.,  V,  410 

Reeder,  P.  S.,  Ill,  40 

Rees,  Thomas,  IV,  193 

Reese,  Frank  H.,  VI,  384 

Reeves,   Owen  T.,   Ill,   70 

Reeves,  Walter,  IV,  366 

Reeves  Bluff,  I,  437 

Regan,  Lawrence  V.,  V,  393 

Register-News  Company,  V,  289 

Registration    Department,    III,    293,    297 

Regulating  railroads,  III,  137 

"Regulators",  II,  308 

Rehr,  Harry  P,  VI,  284 

Reich,  Otto  F.,  IV,  43 

Reichmann,  Frank,  VI,  373 

Reid,   Charles   C,  VI,  426 

Reid,  John  M.,  VI,  96 

Reisch,  George,  IV,  203 

Religious  life;  pioneer,  I,  365;  early 
day,  II,  86;  freedom,  268;  advance,  III, 
111;  camp  meetings,  112 

Religious  romance,  II,  271 

Rendleman,  Harry  W.,  V,  345 

Renfer,  Otto  C,  IV,  18 

Renwick,  George  W.,  Ill,  90 

Renwick's  Elgin  Battery,  Illinois  Artil- 
lery, III,  90 

Republican-Advocate,  II,  78 

Republican  Convention,  1854,  II,  369 

Republican  government,  III,  268 

Republican  National  Convention,  Chi- 
cago, 1860,  II,  478;  1872,  III,  160 

Republican  Party:  rise  of,  II,  361;  birth 
of,  in  Illinois,  370;  392;  division  in, 
III,  150 

Republican  State  Convention,  II,  398; 
1870,  III,  154;   1872,  161 

Republicans,  national,  II,  254 

Repudiation  of  State  debt,  II,  309 

Resources,  I,  38 

Reuter,  Henry,  VI,  276 

Revell,  Alexander  H.,  VI,  52 

Revenue,  II,  341;   school,  III,  388 

Revolutionary  soldiers,  I,  404 

Revolutionary  War,  troops  mustered  out, 
I,  213 

Reynolds,  Charles  H.,  VI,  155 

Reynolds,  Earl  D.,  VI,  351 

Reynolds,  John,  I,  145,  371,  394,  434;  II, 
36,  64,  156;  (illustration),  216 

Reynolds,  Thomas  II,  35 

Reynolds,  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois", 
I,  199 

Rhodes,  James  E.,  V,  245 

Rice,  Albert,  VI,  224 

Rice,  Alexander  Z.,  V,  202 

Rice,  Edward  F.,  V,  241 

Rice,  Wallace,  III,  301,  316,  329 

Rich,  Elmer,  VI,   174 


Richardson,  Vol  E.,  VI,  133 

Richardson,  William  A.,  II,  385;  IV,  374 

Richardson,  William  H.,  II,  224 

Richberg,  Donald  R.,  V,  237 

Richeson,  John  J.,  IV,   139 

Richmond,  Asher  L.,  VI,  136 

Richmond,  Jonathan,  III,  80 

Richmond  shales,  the,  I,  13 

Rickard,  Elmer  G.,  V,  45 

Rickard,  Harry  L.,  V,  45 

Rickard,  Lewis,  V,  44 

Rickard,  Lewis  L.,  V,  46 

Riddell,  William   R.,  Ill,  320 

Riefler,  Charles  J.,  IV,  39 

Riemenschneider,   Albert  L.,  IV,  345 

Rigdon,   Sidney,  II,  289 

Riggs,  Hosea,  I,  368 

Riley,  John  V.,  V,  287 

Rinaker,  John  I.,  Ill,  79 

Ripley,  Edward  P.,  IV,  360 

Rippetoe,   George  H.,  V,  330 

Rising,  Jorgen  P.,  VI,  314 

Ritchey,  Alexander,  V,  102 

Rittenhouse,  Martin  L.,  VI,  106 

River  steamers,  (illustration)  I,  363; 
steamboats,  412 

River  transportation,  early,  I,  410 

Roads:  early,  II,  76  (illustrations),  77; 
the  National,  206;  213;  hard,  III,  423; 
map  showing  progress  of  construc- 
tion, 424;  bond  issues  for,  427 

Roberts,  Adelbert  H.,  V,  124 

Roberts,  Alexander  H.,  V,  291 

Roberts,  Charles  C,  V,  426 

Roberts,  Harry  E.,  IV,  190 

Roberts,  Millie  J.,  V,  426 

Robertson,  Thomas,  I,  339;  VI,  220 

Robinson,  Carl  E.,  V,  148 

Robinson,  Cora  M.,  V,  208 

Robinson,  James  C,  III,  119;  IV,  375 

Robinson,  James  E.,  Ill,  54 

Robinson,  James  F.,  IV,  276 

Robinson,  John  M.,  IV,  376 

Robinson,  Lawson  F.,  V,  208 

Robinson,   Mary   E.,   IV,   277 

Robison,  Frank  E.,  V,  357 

Rock  Island,  III,  101 

Rock  Island  Argus,  IV,  85 

Rock  River  from  Castle  Rock,  Grand  De- 
tour,  (illustration)   II,  119 

Rock  Spring  Seminary,  I,  372;  (illus- 
tration), II,  302 

Rockford,  III,  104 

Roderick,  Solomon  P.,  V,  99 

Rodgers,  Benjamin  F.,  Ill,  89 

Roedel,  Carl,  VI,  241 

Rogers,  Euclid  B.,  IV,  225 

Rogers,  Myron  C,  IV,  176 

Rogier,  Henry  O.,  IV,  278 

Rohland,  Charles  B.,  VI,  404 


lii 


INDEX 


Rohlfs,  Rudolph  H.,  V,  53 

Roman  Catholics,  II,  87,  89 

Romeo,    Main   Channel   Drainage    Canal, 

(illustration)   III,  173 
Rongetti,  Amante,  V,  329 
Roodhouse,  Charles  B.,  V,  65 
Roodhouse,  William  C,  V,  152 
Roos,  Frederick  B.,  IV,  280 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  III,  344 
Root,  Clarence  J.,  IV,  167 
Ross,  Edward,  VI,  78 
Ross,  Leonard  F.,  Ill,  58 
Ross,  Walter  H.,  V,  419 
Rost,  John  W.,  IV,  64 
Roth,  Harry  A.,  V,  59 
Roth,  Henry  H.,  V,  254 
Row,  Harry  R.,  V,  337 
Royal    Grant    to    Virginia,    Connecticut 

and   Massachusetts,    (map)   I,  82 
Royce,  Clark  E.,  Ill,  90 
Ruckel,  Abner  D.,  V,  78 
Ruckel,  Carroll  A.,  V,  78 
Ruf,  John  L.  H.  Jr.,  VI,  51 
Ruhl,  A.  S.,  IV,  404 
Ruhle,  Christian  V.,  VI,  380 
Rummel,  Edward,  III,  159 
Runnells,  John  S.,  V,  105 
Runnels,  Mary  Y.,  VI,  175 
Rural  practice  teaching,  III,  399 
Rural   schools,  III,  388 
Rush,   William   V.,  VI,  421 
Russell,  Horace  G.,  VI,  144 
Rutherford,  Friend  S.,  Ill,  75 
Rutherford,  Larkin,  I,  371;  405 
Rutz,  Edward,  III,  161 
Ryan,  D.  J.,  V,  21 
Ryan,  George,  III,  71 
Ryan,  Howard  D.,  V,  284 
Ryan,  John  F.,  V,  416 
Ryman,   Cora  B,  IV,  217 
Ryrie,   George   M.,  V,  18 
Ryrie,  Sophia  H.,  V,  19 

Sabath,  Joseph,  VI,  148 

Sac  Indians,  I,  50;  II,  125 

Sackman,  William  J.,  VI,  378 

Sacred  Heart  Academy,  IV,  33 

St.  Andrews  Hospital,  IV,  414 

St.  Angel,  Jasper,  IV,  359 

St.  Barbara's  Church,  IV,  99 

St.  Charles  Community  High  School,  VI, 

328 
St.  Clair,  Arthur,  I,  233 
St.  Clair,  Arthur  W.,  VI,  195 
St.   Clair  County,  I,   232;   population  in 

1818,  I,  343 
St.  Denis,  Juchereau  de,  I,  116 
St.  Joseph's  Ursuline  Academy,  IV,  57 
St.  Louis,  controversy  with,  II,  346 


St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  and  School, 
VI,  161 

St.  Peter,  Orville  G.,  V,  191 

St.  Peter  sandstone,  I,  13 

Saint  Philippe,   (village)   I,  162 

"Salary  Grab",  law,  III,   157 

Saline  River,  II,  189 

Salines,  on   Saline   River,  II,   192 

Salt  industry:  II,  86,  187,  189;  springs, 
wells,  licks,  189;  springs  leased,  191; 
salt-making  by  French,  190;  earliest 
reference  to,  190;  fuel  for,  197 

Salvation  Army,  III,  367,  409 

Salveson,  Paul  H.,  IV,  258 

Sand  dune  suitable  for  growing  cotton- 
wood,  (illustration)  III,  207 

Sanders,  John  W.,  V,  70 

Sanders,  J.  W.,  IV,  214 

Sanders,  Karl  D.,  V,  245 

Sanders,  R.  Z.,  IV,  214 

Sandy  Meadows,  I,  260 

Sanford,  John  F.  A.,  II,  463 

Sangamon  Country,  I,  424;  migration 

Sanganash  Hotel,  Chicago,  (illustration) 
II,  106 

Sanitary  District  of  Chicago,  (illustra- 
tion)  III,  173 

Sargent,  Fred  W.,  V.,  378 

Sauer,  Nicholas,  V,  361 

Sauer,  Philip  E.,  V,  362 

Saukenuk,  II,   116 

Sauvage,  William  M.,  IV,  350 

Savage,  Thomas  E.,  IV,  164 

Savage's  Ferry,  I,  408 

Sawyer,  Josiah  M.,  IV,  199 

Scammon,  Jonathan  Y.,  V,  384 

Scates,  Walter  B.,  II,  332 

Scatterday,   Frank   F.,   VI,   215 

Schaeffer,  Delmont  L.,  V,  168 

Schauerte,  Kasper,  V,  280 

Schauerte,  Wienand,  V,  280 

Schein,  George  L.,  VI,  160 

Schemmerhorn,  John  F.,  I,  368 

Schenck,  Charles   F.,  IV,  346 

Scherbarth,  Herman  R.,  VI,  303 

Schertz,  Benjamin  F.,  IV,  178 

Schertz,  Julianna  S.,  IV,  179 

Schiele,  William  C,  V,  255 

Schierholz,  Elmar  L.,  V,  377 

Schlipp,  Frederick  J.,  IV,  126 

Schirding,  Harry,  VI,  425 

Schirding,  Henry  H.,  VI,  425 

Schlafly,  Louis  A.,  VI,  34 

Schmidt,  Henry  G.,  V,  54 

Schmidt,  Otto  L.,  Ill,  311;  V,  5 

Schmitt,  Joseph  M.,  IV,  51 

Schofield,  John  M.,  IV,  376 

Scholes,  Robert,  IV,  151 

Schoolmaster  general  of  Illinois,  1785,  I, 
371 


INDEX 


liii 


Schools:  I,  370;  in  1783,  371;  pioneer, 
415;  law  of  1825,  416;  public  system, 
1824,  417;  bill  creating  free,  II,  95; 
100;  III,  145;  private  or  state,  188; 
first,  372;  "log  colleges",  372;  Illinois 
system,  375;  first  University,  376;  free, 
378;  primitive  buildings,  380;  progress 
of,  382;  law  of  1855,  386;  first  normal 
school,  386;  establishment  of  state  uni- 
versity, 386;  elementary  schools,  387; 
revenues,  388;  rural,  388;  city,  389; 
county  superintendents,  390;  buildings, 
391;  courses  of  study,  391;  consolida- 
tion, 392;  high  schools,  392;  rural  prac- 
tice, 399;  state  university,  400 

Schott,  Emma,  VI,  242 

Schott,  Henry  C,  VI,  242 

Schott,   Henry   C.   Jr.,   VI,   242 

Schroder,  William  B.,  IV,  135 

Schroeder,  Simon  P.,  V,  164 

Schroeder,  Werner  W.,  VI,  107 

Schroeppel,  G.  H.  R.,  IV,  347 

Schuette,  Alfred  E.,  VI,  205 

Schumacher,  Harry  W.,  V,  181 

Schurz,  Carl,  II,  484;  III,  28,  158 

Schuwerk,  William  H.,  VI,  109 

Schuwerk,  William  M.,  VI,  192 

Schuyler,   Robert,   II,   463 

Schwaab,  John  E.,  V,  80 

Schwaner,  George  W.,  IV,  182 

Schwartz,  Adolph,  III,  89 

Schwartz,   Samuel,  V,  319 

Schwartz,  Sarah  K.,  VI,  375 

Schwartz,  William  A.,  VI,  375 

Scientific  agriculture,  I,  30 

Scofield,  Timothy  J.,  V,  24 

Scott,  Alfred  B.  Jr.,  V,  84 

Scott,  John  C.,  V,  239 

Scott,  John  M.,  II,  266;   IV,  366 

Scott,  Mabel,  VI,  179 

Scott,  Mary  A.  S.,  V,  240 

Scott,   Mrs.   Mathew  T.,   I,   116 

Scott,  Travis  M.,  IV,  256 

Scott,  Winfield  F.,  II,  147;  army  at  Chi- 
cago, 148;   152;  VI,   178 

Scott  Field,  III,  348 

Scovill,  Albert  T.,  VI,  67 

Scoville,   Thomas   N.,   V,   265 

Scrimger,    Schuyler    C,    IV,    104 

Searing,  John  H.,  VI,  225 

Secession:  threats  of,  II,  486;  begins, 
487 

Second  general  assembly,  Vandalia,  I, 
442 

Second  Illinois  Artillery,  III,  88 

Second   Illinois    Cavalry,    III,   84 

Second  township,  II,  301 

Secret  societies,  II,  44 

Secretary  of  State,  office  of,  III,  277 

Seeberger,  Anthony,  III,  239 


Seeley,  John,  III,  376 

Seeley,   Samuel  J.,   I,  371 

Seelye,  Joseph,  IV,  306 

Sehring,  George  F.,  VI,  269 

Seibold,  William  H.,  IV,  41 

Seibold  Family,   IV,   41 

Selby,  Clarence,  IV,  247 

Selby,  Paul,  II,  376;    (illustration)   377; 

IV,  382 
Selective  Service  Law,  III,  346 
Self-government,  II,  7 
Seligman,  Arthur  F.,  V,  24 
Sellers,  George  E.,  II,  188;  202 
Seminary  funds,  III,  185 
Semple,  James,  II,  152 
Seright,  Roy  L.,  VI,  312 
"Serious  financial  depression",  II,  333 
Service  Recognition  Board,  III,  370 
Settlements,  permanent,  I,  109 
Settlers,  I,  147 

Severinghaus,  Albert  H.,  V,  409 
Sewage  Treatment  Works  in  Process  of 

Construction,    1925,    (illustration)    III, 

173 
Seward,  Wm.  H.,  II,  484 
Sexton,  Charles  M.,  VI,  97 
Sexton    Creek    limestone,    I,    14 
Seybold,  Robert,  I,  405 
Seybt,  Charles  H.,  VI,  59 
Shabbona:    (illustration)   II,  141;  152 
Shanahan,  David  E.,  Ill,  337,  363 
Shannon,  James,  IV,  148 
Shaughnessy,   John,   IV,   152 
Shaw,  Charles  E.,  VI,  56 
Shaw,  George  E.,  V,  219 
Shaw,  James,  VI,  312 
Shaw,  Ralph  M.,  VI,  259 
Shaw,  Robert  E.,  VI,  156 
Shaw,  Will  G.,  V,  359 
Shawnee  Chief,  II,  27 
Shawneetown,   I,   419;    land   offices,   441; 

Presbyterian  Church,   1823,  II,  88 
Shawneetown  Bank,  1841,  II,  249 
Shawneetown  Gazette,  The,  I,  381 
Shawneetown  land  district,  II,  192 
Sheean,  David,  III,  40 
Sheets,  Horace  H.,  V,  423 
Shellabarger,  David  S.,  IV,  196 
Shepardson,  Francis  W.,  V,  422 
Shepherd,  Frank  W.,  VI,  325 
Sheridan,  James  B.,  II,  407 
Sherman,  Francis  I.,  Ill,  73 
Sherman,  Lawrence  Y.,  Ill,  312 
Sherman,  W.  P.,  VI,  275 
Shields,  James,  brigade,  I,  320;  341;  IV, 

368 
Shields,  James  K.,  II,  224 
Shiloh,  I,  406 

Shipton,  Thomas  D.,  V,  398 
Shirk,  Osro,  V,  390 
Shirley,  Henry  W.,  VI,  29 


liv 


INDEX 


Short,  Jacob,  I,   398 

Short,  John  A.,  VI,  198 

Shoupe,  Walter  C,  VI,  80 

Shouse,  Thurman  F.,  V,  96 

Shuck,  William  D.,  IV,  233 

Shugart,  Leon  M.,  V,  266 

Shumaker,  Andrew  H.,  V,  273 

Shumway,  M.  Raymond,  V,  285 

Shumway,  Roland  H.,  V,  284 

Shup,  Frank  L.,  VI,  293 

Shurtleff  College,  II,  301;  V,  365 

Shuster,  F.  E.,  IV,  219 

Sibley,  Frank  C,  VI,  197 

Sickles,  Hiram  F.,  Ill,  83 

Siebel,  August  F.  W.,  IV,  330 

Siekman,  John  H.,  IV,   379 

Sikes,  John  H.,  IV,  232 

Silos,  III,  196 

Silversparre,  Axel,  III,  88 

Simon,  Owen  H.,  IV,  158 

Simonds,   Ossian   C,   VI,   325 

Sims,  Ira  W.,  V,  413 

Sinding,  John  W.,  V,  234 

Singleton,  James  W.,  II,  333 

Sinnett,  Thomas  P.,  IV,  114 

Siqueland,  Tryggve  A.,  V,  288 

Sitterly,  John  C,  V,  107 

Sixty-fifth  Congress,  III,  342 

Skiff,  Frederick  J.  V.,  Ill,  261 

Skinner,  George  S.,  IV,  160 

Skinner,  Hosea  E.,  V,  343 

Skinner,  John  S.,  IV,  265 

Skinner,  Josef  T.,  IV,  160 

Skinner,  Mark,  IV,  367 

Slade,  Charles,  IV,  397 

Slavery:  introduction  of  into  Illinois,  I, 
125;  introduction  of,  249;  319;  II,  15; 
struggle  in  Illinois,  17;  freed  slaves, 
22;  fight  with  freedom,  28;  report  of 
committees,  29;  pamphlets,  appeals, 
posters,  etc.,  41;  public  speaking,  42; 
stand  of  churches  on,  44;  newspapers, 
45;  in  politics,  158;  radicals  and  con- 
servatives, 159;  193;  question  settled 
in  Illinois,  336;  361 

Slawson,  James  H.,  IV,  336 

Sloan,  John  F.,  IV,  29 

Sloan,  Thomas  J.,  Ill,  80 

Sloo,  Thomas,  II,  65 

Sloo,  Thomas,  Jr.,  II,  55 

Smiley,  Ernest  H.,  VI,  171 

Smith,  Alfred  T.,  Ill,  84 

Smith,  Arthur  G.,  IV,  172 

Smith,  Austin  J.,  V,  296 

Smith,   Benjamin   L.,   VI,    338 

Smith,  Carleton  B.,  IV,  108 

Smith,  Charles  G.,  V,  185 

Smith,  Charles  N.,  VI,  245 

Smith,  Dudley  C,  III,  82 

Smith,  Edward  A.,  IV,  409 

Smith,  Francis  L.,  V,  369 


Smith,  Francis  N.,  V,  368 

Smith,  Frank  E.,  IV,  216 

Smith,  George  P.,  Ill,  81 

Smith,  George  W.,  VI,  430 

Smith,  Gustavus  A.,  Ill,  64,  84 

Smith,  Henman  B.,  V,  297 

Smith,   Henry   W.,   V,   76 

Smith,  Hyrum,  murder  of,  II,  288 

Smith,  J.  Emil,  IV,  207 

Smith,  James,  I,  366;  II,  89;  III,  87 

Smith,  Jesse  M.,  VI,  54 

Smith,  Joseph  II,  269;  (illustration)  270; 
in  Washington,  276;  in  jail,  287;  mur- 
der of,  288 

Smith,  Kirby  B.,  VI,  393 

Smith,  Leander,  IV,  408 

Smith,  Lynn  C,  VI,  42 

Smith,   Oscar   C,  VI,   189 

Smith,  Pearl,  VI,  139 

Smith,  Richard  E.,  V,  220 

Smith,  Robert  E.,  V,  199 

Smith,  Theophilus  W.,  II,  35,  65 

Smith,  Thomas  B.  F.,  V,  342 

Smith,  W.  H.  C,  V,  47 

Smith,  William  C,  VI,  201 

Smith,  William  H.,  IV,  120 

Smith,  William  W.,  VI,  291 

Smulski,  John  F.,  VI,  189 

Snedeker,  Isaac  D.,  IV,  428 

Snell,  Thomas,  III,  77 

Snider,  Louis  B.,  IV,  132 

Snook,  Albert  M.,  VI,  322 

Snyder,  Adam  W.,  II,  152,  224,  242 

Snyder,  Byron  J.,  IV,  235 

Snyder,  Harry  M.,  VI,  326 

Snyder,  Joseph  C,  V,  149 

Social  progress,  II,  92;  III,  107;  stand- 
ards,  110;    429 

Social  standards,  early,  I,  376 

Soils,  I,  20;  building,  III,  199 

Southern  Illinois  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane, Anna,   (illustration)    III,   296 

Southern  Illinois  State  Normal  Univer- 
sity,  (illustration)   III,  397 

Southern  Illinois  tornado,  III,  403 

Southern  sentiment,  1860,  II,  471 

Spaniards  in  Illinois,  I,  207 

Spanish   claims,   I,   309 

Spann,  Harriet  M.   N.,  VI,   266 

Spann,  John   H.,  VI,  266 

Sparks,  Edwin  E.,  I,  448;  II,  400 

Sparks,  Henry  D.,  VI,  321 

Spaulding,  Jay  L.,  V,  72 

Spawning  grounds,  Carlyle,  (illustra- 
tion)   II,   233 

Spears,  John  W.,  VI,  292 

Specie  Payment,  suspension  of,  II,  247 

Speckman,  Anna  H.  S.,  IV,  295 

Speckman,  Fred  C,  IV,  295 

Speckman,    Frederick   H.,   IV,    295 

Spectator,  II,  45 


INDEX 


lv 


Speeman,  Walter  H.,  V,  323 
Speicher,  Joseph  H.,  VI,  304 
Spencer,  Jack  C,  VI,  38 
Spencer,  Orson  B.,  VI,  300 
Spillman,  Benjamin,  I,  369 
Spilman,  Charles  H.,  IV,  338 
Spiritual  wives,  II,  281 
Spoils,   III,   284 
Spoor,  John  A.,  Ill,  363 
Sprague,  Albert  A.,  IV,  4 
Sprague,  Thomas  K.,  VI,  287 
Sprenger,  George  W.,  IV,  119 
Sprenger,   William  H.,   VI,  417 
Springer,   William   M.,   IV,   377 
Springfield,  I,  421;  II,  484;  III,  102 
"Springfield    and    Alton    Turnpike   Road 

Company",  II,  456 
Springfield  Light  Artillery,  III,  89 
Springfield   Public   Schools,   IV,   197 
Sproul,  Elliott  W.,  VI,  367 
Spurgin,  William  G.,  VI,  387 
Stadler,  Percy  E.,  VI,  196 
Staley,  Edward  E.,  IV,  69 
Star  of  the  West,  II,  78 
Staring,  Frederick  A.,  Ill,  70 
Starne,  Charles  A.,  IV,  215 
Starr,  Norman  S.,  VI,  65 
Starved  Rock,   (illustration)   I,  258;   406 
Starved    Rock    Park,     (illustration)     II, 

146 
State  Agricultural  Society,  II,  296 
State  Bank  chartered,  1834,  II,  246 
State  Bank  of  Illinois,  II,  92 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  III,  184 
State    Boards,    III,    286 
State  Capitol,  Vandalia,  (illustration)  I, 

437 
State  Central  Committee,  II,  264 
State  Commissions,  III,  286 
State  constitutional  convention,  of  1818, 

delegates  to,  I,  333;  draft  of,  346;  its 

framers,  352;  changes  in,  II,  324,  334; 

new,   341 
State  Constitutional  Convention  of  1818, 

I,  342;  1862,  III,  24 

State  Council  of  Defense,  III,  359,  362, 

363,  367 
State  Crop  Reporting  Service,  III,  359 
State  debt,  repudiation  of,  II,  309;  1842, 

243 
State  Farmers'  Association,  III,  215 
State    Governor,    first,    message    of,    I, 

430 
State  Hatchery,  Yorkville,   (illustration) 

II,  233 

State  Legislature,  1851,  II,  350 

State  Mass  Convention,  1854,  II,  368 

State  officers,  III,  277 

State   Policy,   II,   347 

State  Sanitary  Bureau,  III,   37 

State  Teachers'  Association,  III,  391 


State  Treasurer,  office  of,  III,  278 
State  University,  establishment  of,  1867, 

III,  386,  400 
Statehood  petition,  I,  324 
Statehouse,  frame,  at  Vandalia,  burned, 

II,  49 
States,  original  thirteen,  II,  14;  new,  15 
Staub,  Sadie  F.,  IV,  383 
Steamboats,  I,  412 
Stearns,  Leonard  T.,  VI,  222 
Steel,  James,  III,  90 
Steel,  James  H.,  VI,  258 
Steely,  Harlin  M.,  VI,  37 
Stegman,  Jacob  R.,  V,  161 
Stein,  Henry,  V,   185 
Steinhouser,  Carl  A.  Jr.,  V,  393 
Stelle,  John  H.,  VI,  129 
Stenbeck,  Andrew,  III,  89 
Stephens,  Alexander  H.,  II,  487 
Stephens,  Malbern  M.,  VI,  36 
Stephens,  Thaddeus,  II,  484 
Stephenson,  Benjamin,  I,  336 
Stephenson,  Ferdinand  D.,  Ill,  84 
Stephenson,  James   W.,  II,  234 
Stephenson,  Thomas  B.,  VI,  186 
Sterling,  Thomas,  I,   156 
Sterling,  Fred  E.,  V,  351 
Stevens,  Albert  D.,  IV,  170 
Stevens,  Bradford  N.,  Ill,  155 
Stevens,  James  E.,  V,   306 
Stevens,  Thaddeus,  III,  150 
Stevenson,    Adlai    E.,    (illustration)    III. 

255;  IV,  372 
Stewart,   Bae,  VI,  38 
Stewart,  Charles   J.,  IV,   186 
Stewart,  Don  B.,  VI,  188 
Stewart,  Warren,  III,  8? 
Stice,  J.  Maurice,  VI,  216 
Stickney,   Edward   S.,  V,  303 
Stiers,  Fred   L.,   IV,   141 
Stillman  family,  I,  375 
Stillman's   Defeat,  II,  130 
Stires,  John  C,  V,  178 
Stoakey,  Simon  J.,  Ill,  83 
Stoakey's  Company,  III,  83 
Stokes,  James  H.,  Ill,  89 
Stolze,  Albert  E.,  V,  166 
Stone,  Clyde  E.,  IV,  34 
Stone,  Harlan  M.,  VI,  300 
Storev,  Wilbur  F.,  IV,  397 
Storms,  I,  37 
Storrs,  Emery  A.,  IV,  380 
Stout,   Clyde  W.,   IV,  401 
Stout,  Ina  R.,  IV,  120 
Stoutin,  George  H.,  V,  112 
Stowell,   Rockwell,   IV,   264 
Strauss,  Joseph  B.,  VI,  363 
Strawn,  Silas  H.,  V,  424 
Street,  Joseph  M.,  II,  65 
Streuber,  Joseph  P.,  V,  153 
Streyckmans,  Felix  J.,  V,  16 


lvi 


INDEX 


Strickfaden,  John,  IV,  242 

Strickfaden,   Silas,  IV,   140 

Stridger,  Felix,  III,  31 

Strong,  Judson  E.,  VI,  402 

Strunk,  William  P.,  V,  423 

Stuart,   Cortland  B.,   IV,   230 

Stuart,  David,  III,  67 

Stuart,   Elias,  III,  70 

Stuart,  John  T.,  II,  156 

Stuber,  Alex,  IV,  128 

Stubbles,  Charles  S.,  V,  68 

Stubbles,  Cora  B.,  V,  69 

Studebaker,  Clement,  Jr.,  VI,  147 

Stumbaugh,  Charles  E.,  VI,  418 

Sturges,  Jona.,  II,  463 

Sturges,  Mary  D.,  Ill,  261 

Sturgis  Rifles,  Illinois  Artillery,  III,  90 

Sturtevant,  J.   M.,  Ill,  382 

Sturtevant,  Julian  M.,  IV,  398 

Sturtz,  Charles   E.,  V,  94 

Stuttle,  Albert  L.,  IV,  228 

Stutzman,  Guy  C,  V,  290 

Sucher,   George   B.,   IV,  48 

Suffrage,  rights  modified,  I,  314;  aliens' 
rights,  II,  258;   III,  130 

Sullivan,  W.  E.,  VI,  131 

Summers,  Ephriam,  V,  150 

Sumner,  Charles,  III,  150 

Sunnyside  Coal  Mine,  Herrin,  (illustra- 
tion) III,  420 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
office  of,  III,  278 

Supply  companies,  great,  III,  224 

Supreme  Court,  I,  237,  303;  danger  of 
whig,  1840,  II,  258;  III,  144 

Supreme  Court  Building,  (illustration) 
III,  331 

Supreme  Court  Building,  Mt.  Vernon 
(illustration),  II,  348 

Surghnor,  Valentine  H.,  IV,  111 

Sutherland,  William  J.,  VI,  315 

Sutton,  Gertus  D.,  IV,  279 

Sutton,  James  P.,  IV,  417 

Swanson,  David  I.,  V,  31 

Sweet,  Benjamin  J.,  Ill,  48 

Swett,  Leonard,  II,  478;  IV,  369 

Swift,  Gustavus  F.,  V,  324 

Swing,  David  L.,  IV,  358 

Swofford,  James  C,  VI,  170 

Swofford,  Rassie  A.,  VI,  170 

Taff,  Albert  E.,  V,  310 

Taft,  William  H.,  Ill,  344 

Talbott,  Lafayette  E.,  VI,  155 

Tallett,  Harold  J.,  V,  242 

Talon,  M.  Jean,  I,  67 

Tamaroa  Indians,  I,  49 

Tanner,  John  R.  (illustration),  III,  280 

Tanner,  John  R.,  IV,  398 

Taphorn,  Henry,  VI,  313 


Taxation,  World   War,  III,  350 

Taxes,  II,  336;  increased,  III,  354 

Taylor,  Benjamin  F.,  VI,  118 

Taylor,  Ezra,  III,  87 

Taylor,  Paul,  VI,  306 

Taylor,  William,  IV,  214 

Taylor,  Zachary,  I,  289;  II,  156,  312 

Teachers'  College,  III,  396 

Teachers'  Institutes,  III,  383 

Tearney,  George  M.,  V,  263 

Tecumseh,  I,  271 

Temperature,  annual,  I,  34 

Teel,  Levi,  I,  405 

Templeton,  Anna  G.,  VI,  304 

Templeton,  Elizabeth  J.,  VI,  304 

Templeton,  James  S.,  VI,  303 

Tenth  General  Assembly,  II,  224 

Tenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  III,  86 

Tenth  Illinois  Infantry,  III,  57 

Territorial  government,  I,  311 

Territorial  land  titles,  I,  294 

Territorial  officials,  I,  263 

Territory  First  Class,  I,  229 

Territory  of  Illinois,  I,  254 

Terry,  Charles  D.,  IV,  231 

Terry,  Henry  T.,  IV,  231 

Terry,  John  C,  IV,  143 

Test,  M.  Lincoln,  VI,  420 

Thatcher,  Charles  P.,  IV,  186 

Thatcher,  Mary  M.  H.,  IV,  186 

Theological  Seminary  and   High  School, 

Rock  Springs,  II,  301 
Third  Illinois  Cavalry,  III,  85 
Third  Territorial  Legislature,  I,  321 
Thistlewood,  Wilbur  B.,  VI,  263 
Thode,  August  W.,  V,  431 
Thomas,  Benjamin  F.,  V,  313 
Thomas,  Clarence  C,  VI,  310 
Thomas,  Frank  W.,  V,  79 
Thomas,  Jesse  B.,  I,  253,  336,  362,  393, 

447;  II,  30,  36,  64;  III,  376 
Thomas,  William,  II,  224 
Thompson,  A.  Alonzo,  VI,  402 
Thompson,  Charles  H.,  VI,  180 
Thompson,  David  O.,  VI,  68 
Thompson,  George  E.,  VI,  328 
Thompson,  George  H.,  VI,  313 
Thompson,  Joseph  J.,  I,  145;  V,  397 
Thompson,  Norman  F.,  VI,  349 
Thompson,  Norman  F.,  Jr.,  VI,  349 
Thompson,  T.  Barney,  V,  279 
Thon,  William  G.,  VI,  399 
Thorn  House,  II,  200 
Thornton,  Anthony,  II,  332 
Thornton,  Charles  S.,  VI,  9 
Thrift  stamps,   III,  354 
Tillman,  Benjamin  W.,  V,  115 
Tilton,  Floyd  J.,  V,  411 
Timm,  William  C,  VI,  55 
Tinsley,  Robert  R.,  V,  169 


INDEX 


lvii 


Tippecanoe,  Battle  of,  I,  271 

"Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too,"  II,  263 

Titterington,  J.  B.,  VI,  369 

Todd,  John,  I,  195,  200;  death  of,  212 

Todd  Record  Book,  I,  258 

Tohill,  Noah  M.,  VI,  342 

Toler,  Silas  C,  III,  68 

Tolliver,  Alsie  N.,  V,  305 

Tonti:  trials  of,  I,  92;   (illustration)  93; 

vision,  96;  alone  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  I, 

104,  265 
Tornado,  Southern  Illinois,  III,  403 
Torrance,  Herbert  E.,  V,  260 
Township  High  Schools,  III,  393 
Township  High  School,  Sterling,  IV,  170 
Township  organization,  II,  342 
Townships  and  districts,  III,  388 
Trade:    Illinois   Territory,   I,  365;    early, 

422;  and  commerce,  1830,  II,  75 
Trade    and    Commerce    Department,   III, 

293,  296 
Transition  period,  II,  295 
Transportation,  I,  363;  early  routes,  364, 

409;   early  river,  410;   roads,   413;   II, 

298;  III,  95,  392,  422 
Trares,  Wilbur  A.,  IV,  342 
Travers,  Lawrence  B.,  V,  113 
Treat,  Samuel  H.,  Ill,  102;  IV,  370 
Treaties;    of    Peace,    1783,    I,    210;    with 

Indians,  265 
Treaty    of    1816    with    Indians,    289;    of 

Ghent,  289;  with  Sacs  and  Foxes,  II, 

149 
Treaty  Congress,  Chicago,  1821,  II,  105 
Trevett-Mattis  Banking  Company,  VI,  60 
Trimble,  Cairo  A.,  VI,  26 
Trimble,  Harvey  M.,  VI,  24 
Trimble,  Perry  D.,  VI,  26 
Tripp,  Henry,  IV,  298 
Trobaugh,  William  H.,  V,  256 
Troutner,  Frank  G.,  VI,  405 
Troxel,  James  M.,  IV,  361 
True,  James  M.,  Ill,  69 
Trumbull,  Lyman,  (illustration)  II,  374; 

III,  152,  158,  159;  IV,  368 
Tucker,  Cyrus  J.,  VI,  375 
Tucker,  Joseph  H.,  Ill,  70 
Tupper,  Benjamin,  I,  223 
Tupper,  Nathan  W.,  Ill,  78 
Turchin,  John  B.,  Ill,  60 
Turkey  Hill,  I,  407 
Turner,  Charles  E.,  V,  39 
Turner,  Herbert  H.,  IV,  381 
Turner,  Jonathan  B.,  Ill,  181;    (illustra- 
tion)  183;  382;  IV,  405 
Turner,  Thomas  J.,  Ill,  58 
Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry,  III,  86 
Twelfth  Illinois  Infantry,  III,  57,  90 
Twente,  Lucy  B.,  VI,  273 
Twitchell,  Benjamin  E.,  VI,  413 


Twitchell,  James  W.,  VI,  413 

Two  mill  tax,  II,  336 

Tygett,  Roscoe,  VI,  160 

Typical   township    high    school   building, 

(illustration)    III,  379 
Tyrrell,  John  F.,  V,  111 

Underwood,  Walter  S.,  IV,  344 

Union  Agriculturist  and  Western  Prairie 
Farmer,  II,  296 

Union  County,  population  in  1818,  I,  343 

Union  Iron  Works,  IV,  181 

Union  Party,  III,  50 

United  Colonies,  I,  219 

United  States  Bank,  I,  439;  first,  II,  10; 
second,  206 

United  War  Work,  III,  367 

University,   first,   III,  376 

University  of  Illinois,  III,  120;  Memorial 
Stadium,  (illustration)  352;  (illustra- 
tion) 373;  (illustration)  401;  depart- 
ments of,  402  i 

Updegraff,  John  J.,  Ill,  85 

Upham,  Fred  W.,  Ill,  363 

Uran,  Benjamin  F.,  V,  350 

Ursula,  Mother  M.,  IV,  58 

Ursuline  Academy,  IV,  57 

Utterback,  Rufus  M.,  VI,  127 

Valentine,  Charles  S.,  VI,  275 

Van  Arman,  John,  III,  80 

Vandalia,  I,  419;  Old  State  Capitol  at, 
(illustration)  437,  438;  statehouse 
(frame),  burned,  II,  49;  brick  capitol 
erected,  50;  Last  State  Capitol  Build- 
ing, (illustration)  255;  Centennial 
celebration  at,  III,  332 

Vanderwater,  Ida  G.,  V,  344 

Vanetten,  John  D.,  IV,  322 

Van  Tuyle,  Edward  J.,  V,  78 

Vaughn,  Thomas  F.,  Ill,  89 

Veeder,  Albert  H.,  VI,  95 

Veeder,  Henry,  VI,  96 

Vegetable  resources,  I,  27,  41 

Velde,  Henry  J.,  IV,  303 

Velde,  Ties,  VI,  294 

Verlie,  Emil  J.,  V,  14 

Verrazano,  I,  63 

Vespasian  Warner  Public  Library,  IV,  40 

Veto,  III,  283 

Vigo,  Francis,  I,  186,  258,  388 

Vincennes:  story  of,  I,  117;  surrender, 
182;  Clark's  attack  on,  191;  sur- 
render, 193;  Convention,  247 

Vincennes  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  II,  350 

Vincent,  Charles  R.,  VI,  206 

Vincent,  John  P.,  VI,  317 

Vincent,  Milton,  VI,  329 

Vise,  Hosea  A.,  VI,  168 

Volk,  Leonard  W.,  IV,  398 


lviii 


INDEX 


Volz,  Bernard  R.,  IV,  258 

Von  Colditz,  G.  Thomsen,  VI,  139 

Vose,  Frederic  P.,  V,  50 

Vose,  William  M.  R.,  V,  49 

Voss,  Arno,  III,  86 

Vote  on  Second  Class,  I,  248 

Vredenburgh,  Peter,  IV,  68 

Vurry,  James,  I,  404 

"Wabash  Land  Company,"  I,  159 

Wacher,  Charles  H.,  Ill,  363 

Wade,  Edward  P.,  VI,  366 

Wade,  Samuel,  V,  27 

Wagner,  George  P.,  V,  42 

Wagonmakers,  pioneer,  II,  86 

Wahl,  E.  F.,  IV,  343 

Waite,  Walter  W.,  V,  206 

Wakefield,  James  G.,  V,  418 

Waldman,  Joseph  S.,  V,  404 

Walker,  J.  Donald,  V,  201 

Walker,  Jesse,  I,  368;  III,  113 

Walker,  John  D.,  V,  197 

Walker,  John  H.,  Ill,  363;  IV,  218 

Wall,  John  E.,  VI,  221 

Wall,  Mary  A.,  V,  257 

Wall,  Willard  G.,  V,  257 

Wallace,  W.  H.  L.,  Ill,  57 

Waller,  Peter  A.,  IV,  262 

Walsh,  William  E.,  V,  381 

Walters,  Peter  C,  V,  201 

War  governor  of  Illinois,  II,  493 

War  of  1812,  I,  277;  causes  of,  277;  loss 

of  Detroit,  278;  Illinois  rangers,  279; 

Illinois  campaigns,  284 
"War  of  the  Spanish  Succession,"  I,  112 
War  Recreation  Board,  III,  367 
War  Revenue  Act,  III,  350 
War  sentiment,  III,  343 
Ward,  George  F.  M.,  V,  294 
Ward,  George  W.,  VI,  163 
Ward,  Harold  E.,  IV,  171 
Ward,  Robert  R.,  VI,  168 
Ward,  Walter  B.,  VI,  285 
Ward,  William  H.,  VI,  93 
Warford,  David  A.,  V,  179 
Warner,  Ezra  J.,  V,  353 
Warner,  John,  III,  77 
Warren,  Halleck  B.,  IV,  421 
Warren,  Hooper,  II,  39 
Warren,  William  O.,  VI,  285 
Warwelez,  Hurci,  VI,  390 
Washburn,  Hemstead,  III,  259 
Washburn,  William  E.,  V,  117 
Washburne,  Elihu  B.,  IV,  372 
Washington  County,  population  in  1818, 

I,  343 
Washington's  message,  I,  133 
Waterhouse,  Allen  C,  III,  88 
Waters,  Louis  H.,  Ill,  73 
Waterways,  I,  32;  III,  427 


Watson,  James  A.,  VI,  104 

Watson,  Leo  E.,  VI,  222 

Watson,  Walter  R.,  VI,  339 

Waubunsee,  II,  157 

Wayman,  Louis  R.,  V,  264 

Wayne,  Anthony,  I,  236 

Wayne  Treaty,  II,  100 

Weather  bureau  districts,  I,  37 

Weaver,  William  E.,  IV,  150 

Weaver,  William  H.,  IV,  250 

Weaving,  pioneer,  I,  362 

Webb,  David  T.,  VI,  348 

Webb,  Edwin  B.,  II,  224 

Webb,  William  A.,  Ill,  65 

Weber,  Arthur  E.,  IV,  66 

Weber,  Carl  H.,  VI,  429 

Weber,  Charles  H.,  V,  253 

Weber,  George  T.,  V,  214 

Weber,  Henry  A.,  V,  399 

Weber,  Jessie  P.,  IV,  193 

Webster,  Arthur  W.,  VI,  325 

Webster,  Benjamin  F.,  V,  156 

Webster,  Daniel,  II,  365 

Webster,  Joseph  D.,  Ill,  87 

Webster,  Wendell  W.,  VI,  325 

Webster,  William  D.,  V,  166 

Weedman,  Otto,  IV,  209 

Weekly  Press,  III,  34 

Wehmeier,  Albert  L.,  V,  22 

Weihe,  Edward  H.,  VI,  110 

Weisbrod,  Harry  I.,  IV,  321 

Welch,  Mathew  L.,  V,  39 

Welch,  Thomas,  IV,  144 

Welcher,  Eugene  P.,  IV,  116 

Weldon,  Lawrence,  IV,  399 

Wellman,  Clarence  E.,  V,  100 

Wells,  Edward  A.,  V,  216 

Welsh,  Vernon  M.,  IV,  349 

Wendell,  Elmer  L.,  VI,  35 

Wendt,  Chris  C,  V,  207 

Wentworth,  John,  II,  478;   (illustration), 

III,  151;  IV,  354 
Wernsing,  Anna  M.  M.,  IV,  84 
Wernsing,  Henry,  IV,  83 
West,  Emanuel  J.,  II,  35,  66 
West,  Hezekiah,  I,  337 
West  Frankfort,  III,  406 
West  Jacksonville  District  School,   (first 

high  school)  III,  392 
Westbrook,  Samuel,  II,  194,  203 
Westerlund,  Joseph  E.,  IV,  110 
Western  Company,  I,  115,  127 
Western  country,  The,  I,  114 
Westervelt,  John  C,  VI,  145 
Weston,  Mattie  K.,  VI,  48 
Westward  expansion,  II,  8 
Westward  movement,  I,  164,  228 
Westwick,  John  W.,  VI,  330 
Wham,  Charles,  V,  418 
Wham,  Fred  L.,  VI,  104 


INDEX 


lix 


Wharff,  Howard  E.,  V,  160 

Wharff,  Howard  T.,  VI,  30 

Wheatley,  William  W.,  VI,  182 

Wheeland,  Cyrus  E.,  IV,  267 

Wheeland,  Olive  B.,  IV,  267 

Wheeler,  Harry  A.,  Ill,  357 

Where  Lincoln  clerked,  Old  New  Salem, 

(illustrated)  II,  371 
Whig  meeting,  Springfield,  1840,  II,  264 
Whigs  and  Democrats,  II,  251 
Whigs  in  convention,  1839,  II,  259 
Whistler,  John,  II,  100 
White,  Clarence  J.,  IV,  333 
White,  Crillon  E.,  VI,  426 
White,  Harry  S.,  IV,  85 
White,  Henry,  IV,  84 
White,  Horace,  II,  407;  III,  156;  IV,  381 
White,  Isaac,  I,  391 
White,  James,  I,  389 
White,  James  A.,  V,  274 
White,  James  E.,  VI,  50 
White,  Julius,  III,  64 
White,  Leonard,  I,  337 
White,  Mark  B.,  V,  311 
White,  Minor  E.,  VI,  278 
White,  Peter,  (illustration)  II,  31,  202 
White  County,  population  in  1818,  I,  343 
White  Pine,  Ogle  County,   (illustration) 

III,  207 
White   pine   plantation,   Grundy  County, 

(illustration)   II,  214 
Whitehead,  Robert,  I,  405 
Whiteside,  Clarence  A.,  IV,  373 
Whiteside,  John,  I,  260,   404 
Whiteside,  Samuel,  II,  150 
Whiteside,  William,  I,  260,  396 
Whiteside  Station,  I,  260 
Whiting,  John  E.,  Ill,  73 
Whitmer,  Arthur  L.,  V,  293 
Whitney,  Lorenzo  H.,  Ill,  82 
Whitney,  Wallace  P.,  IV,  177 
Whittaker,  John,  I,  339 
WHT  Radio  Station,  IV,  327 
Whyte,  William  D.,  V,  238 
Wiggins  Ferry,  I,  408 
Wightman,  Charles  A.,  V,  259 
Wigwam,  Chicago,  (illustration)  II,  479; 

III,  14 
Wikoff,  Forest  G.,  IV,  184 
Wilcox,  David  F.,  IV,  422 
Wilcox,  Levi  S.,  VI,  61 
Wild  animal  life,  I,  27 
Wildcat  banking,  II,  357 
Wildeman,  George  H.,  VI,  232 
Wiley,  Edwin,  IV,  189 
Wilhelm,  Henry  L.,  IV,  378 
Wilkins,  John,  I,  157 
Wilkins,  William  E.,  IV,  313 
Will,  Conrad,  I,  338,  392;  II,  195 
Willard,   Frances   E.,    (illustration)    III, 

431;  IV,  376 


Willett,  Samuel  J.,  IV,  202 
Willi,  August  G.,  V,  251 
Williams,  Archibald,  II,  224 
Williams,  Frank  J.,  VI,  400 
Williams,  Guy  R.,  V,  391 
Williams,  James  M.,  Ill,  40 
Williams,  Thomas  S.,  VI,  334 
Williamson,  M.  O.,  V,  302 
Williamson,  Thomas,  V,  354 
Williamson  County  fair  grounds,   (illus- 
tration) III,  229 
Williamson  County  secedes,  III,  19 
Willis,  Omer  M.,  VI,  410 
Willsie,  Horace  H.,  Ill,  83 
Wilmot,  Lyman  J.,  V,  224 
Wilson,  Alexander,  I,  398 
Wilson,  Ernest  G.,  V,  275 
Wilson,  Francis  S.,  VI,  261 
Wilson,  Harrison,  II,  151 
Wilson,  Isaac  E.,  IV,  253 
Wilson,  Isaac  G.,  Ill,  67 
Wilson,  J.  Frank,  VI,  85 
Wilson,  James  T.,  VI,  251 
Wilson,  John  P.,  IV,  266 
Wilson,  John  P.,  Jr.,  IV,  267 
Wilson,  Percy,  VI,  279 
Wilson,  William  G.,  VI,  107 
Wilson,  William  S.,  VI,  382 
Wiltberger,  William  A.,  VI,  186 
Winchester,  Roy,  VI,  205 
Winchester  Chronicle,  n,  376 
Winn,  James  R.,  VI,  126 
Winnebago  Indians,  I,  50 
Winnebago  War,  II,  112 
Winston,  Richard,  I,  215 
Winstrom,  J.  Harry,  IV,  197 
Winzeler,  John  W.,  IV,  34 
Wirick,  Sherburn  V.,  V,  192 
Wise,  Frank  J.,  V,  334 
Wise,  Seibert  D.,  VI,  248 
Witcher,  Robert  B.,  VI,  342 
Witters,  Charles  P.,  VI,  218 
Wolf  hunt,  II,  291 
Wolfe,  John  S.,  Ill,  81 
Wombacher,  George  F.,  VI,  252 
Women,  part  in  Civil  War,  III,  36 
Wood,  Dann  A.,  VI,  167 
Wood,  John,  II,  150;  III,  82 
Wood,  McLain  F.,  Ill,  84 
Wood,  Ruben  H.,  V,  299 
Woodall,  Frank  B.,  Ill,  83 
Woodard,  Selwyn  C,  IV,  336 
Woodburn,  James  C,  VI,  339 
Woodland,  (illustration)  II,  214 
Woodruff,  Clair  R.,  V,  247 
Woodruff,  Edward  N.,  IV,  201 
Woodruff,  George,  V,  140 
Woodruff,  Nelson  L.,  IV,  201 
Woodside,  Edward  E.,  IV,  401 
Wool  growing,  III,  202 


lx 


INDEX 


Woolsey,  Ralph  B.,  IV,  28 

Woolsey,  Robert  C,  V,  411 

Worack,  Frank  P.,  V,  174 

Worcester,  Hal  C,  V,  82 

World  War,  Illinois  in,  III,  341 

World  war;   Red  Cross,  III,  365;  Y.  M. 

C.  A.  and  kindred  organizations,  365; 

armistice  signed,  365;  registrations  of 

man  power,  366;  bonus,  369 
World    War    Soldier,    (illustration)    III, 

347 
World's  Columbian  Exposition,  III,  235, 

240 
World's  Congresses,  III,  250;  Auxiliary, 

251 
World's  Fairs,  III,  232 
Worner,  Fred  J.,  IV,  122 
Worner,  Louis  A.,  IV,  83 
Worth,  Clyde  J.,  VI,  304 
Wright,  Charles  M.,  V,  194 
Wright,  Lyman  D.,  IV,  255 
Wright,  Nelson  A.,  IV,  308 
Wright,  Robert  E.,  V,  415 
Wright,  William  B.,  VI,  297 
Wrigley  Building,  Chicago,  (illustration) 

III,   419 
Wyatt,  William  W.,  IV,  45 
Wyckoff,  David  A.,  V,  36 
Wylie,  Samuel,  II,  87 
Wylie,  Samuel  M.,  VI,  299 
Wyllie,  John  P.,  V,  244 
Wyman,  John  B.,  Ill,  58 


Wyrick,  Ambrose,  V,  243 
Wyss,  Samuel  H.,  V,  77 

Yager,  Levi  D.,  V,  94 
Yager,  Louis  J.,  V,  174 
Yale  Band,  The,  II,  305 
Yates,   Richard,   II,   478,   494;    (illustra- 
tion) III,  8,  36,  119,  152,  315;  IV,  370 
Yates,  W.  A.,  VI,  290 
Yellman,  Ann  D.  P.,  V,  130 
Yellman,  William  L.,  V,  130 
Yocom,  Jacob,  IV,  95 
Yocom,  Susan  L.  IV,  95 
Young,  Brigham,  II,  289 
Young,  Claude  R.,  V,  397 
Young,  John  S.,  V,  76 
Young,  Richard  M.,  II,  36 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  World  War,  III,  365,  367 

Zalar,  Joseph,  VI,  290 
Zane,  John  M.,  IV,  412 
Zaph,  S.  D.,  V,  79 
Zearing,  Louis  A.,  V,  127 
Zelle,  Adolph  G.,  V,  258 
Zerwekh,  Paul  W.,  VI,  151 
Ziebold,  George  C,  VI,  180 
Ziebold,  George  W.,  VI,  179 
Zimmerman,  Daniel  D.,   IV,  302 
Zimmerman,  Frederick  E.,  IV,  227 
Zimmerman,  Ivan  D.,  IV,  302 
Zinc,  I,  41 

Zinser,  Harley  A.,  IV,  136 
Ziock,  William  H.,  V,  287 
Ziock,  William,  V,  286 


SOURCES  AND  AUTHORITIES 


Geology    Chamberlain-Salisbury 

Geological   Survey  of   Illinois Worthen 

Parkman's  Works Parkman 

History  of  the  United  States Bancroft 

Description  of  Louisiana Hennepin 

Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  the  United  States Winsor 

History  of  the  United  States Channing 

English   Settlements   in  Illinois Sparks 

Pittman's   Mississippi   Settlements Hodder 

The   Edwards  Papers Washburne 

Notes  of  the  Northwest  Territory Burnet 

Illinois  in   1837 Ellsworth 

Peek's  Gazateer  of  Illinois Peck 

History   of    Vincennes Gauthom 

Illinois  and  the  West Jones 

Sketches  of   America Fearon 

The   Fergus  Publications 

From  Timber  to  Town 

Pioneer  History  of  Illinois Reynolds 

Chapters   from  the  History  of   Illinois Mason 

Illinois  Historical  Collection Beckwith 

History  of  Kentucky Butler 

History   of  Indiana Dunn 

Publications  of  the  Illinois  Historical  Society 

The   Settlement  of   Illinois Boggess 

Senate    (U.  S.)    Documents 

Journal  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  1818 

History  of  Illinois Breese 

History  of   Lincoln Nicolay-Hay 

History  of  My  Own  Times Reynolds 

History   of   Illinois Moses 

Report  of   (Illinois)   Adjutant-General 

Memoirs  of   General   U.   S.   Grant Grant 

History    of    Illinois '. Blanchard 

Historic  Highways Hulburt 

Life  of  William  Lloyd   Garrison Garrisons 

Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Slave  Power  in  America Wilson 

Sessions  Laws  of  Illinois 

House    (U.   S.)    Documents 

Riots   at  Alton Beecher 

Territorial  Records,  1809-1812 James 

Writings    of    Morris    Birkbeck Birkbeck 

Battle  of  Stillman's  Run Atwood 

Lincoln   at  Gettysburg Carr 

How  Clark  Won  the  Northwest Thwaite 

Knights  of  the  Golden   Circle Stridger 

Prairie  Farming  in  America Caird 

Sketch  of  Edward  Coles Washburne 

lxi 


lxii  SOURCES  AND  AUTHORITIES 

American  Bastile Marshall 

Historical   Encyclopedia   of  Illinois Bateman,  Selby 

Report  of  the  World's  Fair  Commissioners 

Some  of  the  Men  I  have  Known Stevenson 

The  Republican  Convention  of  1856 Prince 

Speeches   and   Letters  of  Lincoln 

Fordham's  Personal  Narrative Ogg 

History  of  Cairo Lansden 

Illinois  as  It  Was  in  1857 Gerhard 

Life  of  Ninian  Edwards Edwards 

Stephen  A.  Douglas Carr 

Lincoln  and  Douglas  Debates Joint  Report 

Memoirs  of  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy Lovejoy 

Early  Western   Travels Thwaites 

Autobiography   of   Black   Hawk Black  Hawk 

Illinois    at    Shiloh Mason 

Valley  of  the  Mississippi Monette 

Educational  History  of  Illinois Cook 

The  Old  Pike — The  National  Road Seawright 

Illinois  Reports 

Census  Report  of  Illinois  for   1920 

Williamson   County   Erwin 

American  State  Papers 

Negro   Servitude  in   Illinois Harris 

The  Illini Carr 

History  and  Geography  of  the  Mississippi  Valley Flint 

Politics  and  Politicians Lusk 

History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Illinois Morton 

Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit Sprague 

History  of  the  People  of  the  United  States McMaster 

Money   and    Banking White 

Illinois  Directory,  1855 Montague 

My  Own  Times Reynolds 

Illinois  Blue   Books 

History  of  Illinois Davidson  and  Stuve 

Adam  W.   Snyder  in  Illinois  History Snyder 

The  Old  Northwest Hinsdale 

Virginia    Commonwealth    Series Scudder 

Historic    Illinois    Parrish 

Atlas  of  Illinois Warner  and  Beers 

Life  of  Lincoln Tarbell 

Annals  of   the  West Hall 

Stories   of   New   Egypt Spitler 

Illinois    Historical    Publications 

Old    Kaskaskia    Days Holbrook 

Counties  Histories 

State  Reports  

American  State  Papers 

History  of  Illinois Perrin 


From  the  Earliest  Days  to  the  Com- 
pletion of  Admission  to 
the  Union 


History  of  Illinois 


CHAPTER  I 

GEOLOGY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Geologic  Processes  —  Laplacian  Hypothesis  —  Planetesi- 
mal  Hypothesis — Stages  of  Growth — Formation  of 
Seas  and  Oceans— The  Geologic  Eras — Geologic  Time 
Divisions  —  Geology  of  Illinois  —  Paleozoic  Era  — 
Silurian  System  —  Devonian  —  Mississippian  —  Penn- 
sylvanian — glacial  period — human  period — our  soil. 

Geology,  as  a  science,  assumes  the  task  of  telling  the  story  of 
the  origin,  growth,  and  present  condition  of  the  earth.  A  portion 
of  this  task  is  relatively  easy.  The  last  stages  of  the  growth, 
as  well  as  the  present  status  of  the  outer  parts  of  the  earth, 
constitute  an  open  book  to  the  geologist.  The  rock  layers  of  the 
earth's  crust,  together  with  the  processes  by  which  they  were 
formed,  constitute  a  book  to  be  read  even  by  the  unskilled 
observer.  The  processes  which  through  many  hundreds,  may  be 
thousands,  of  years  have  given  us  the  familiar  forms  which  we 
may  observe  on  the  sea  shore,  in  the  mountains,  in  the  quarries, 
on  the  plains,  or  in  the  river  valleys,  may  be  seen  at  work  by 
any  one  interested  in  the  great  world  in  which  he  lives. 

Geologic  Processes 

These  processes  with  which  the  general  reader  may  familiarize 
himself  have  been  designated  by  the  geologist  as  Diastrophism, 
Vulcanism,  and  Gradation.  Diastrophism  designates  all  those 
movements  of  the  earth's  crust  which  have  caused  the  crust 
either  to  settle  or  to  rise.  It  has  been  observed  that  many  rock 
layers  which  we  know  were  formed  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea 
are  now  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  sea  level.  On  the  other 
hand  there  are  large  areas  which  were  formed  at  the  bottom 


4  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  the  sea  that  were  later  raised  above  the  sea  but  are  now 
sinking  below  the  level  of  the  ocean. 

Vulcanism  deals  with  all  movements  of  lava  or  volcanic  ma- 
terial. This  process  and  the  first  named  are  closely  related  as 
many  risings  and  sinkings  of  the  crust  of  the  earth  are  due  to 
volcanic  action. 

Gradation  is  the  subject  which  explains  all  changes  of  the 
earth's  crust  which  tend  to  lower  the  mountains  or  to  fill  up 
the  valleys.  Rivers  are  continually  carrying  great  loads  of 
detritus  from  the  mountain  side  into  the  ocean  and  our  inland 
seas.  Great  quantities  of  surface  materials  are  transported  from 
one  place  to  another  by  the  action  of  glaciers  and  winds.  The 
mountains  shall  be  lowered  and  the  valleys  shall  be  filled. 

But  our  geologists  have  not  been  able  to  answer  all  the  ques- 
tions which  have  arisen  about  the  earth's  history.  From  the 
surface  men  have  descended  into  the  deep  interior  of  the  earth 
and  thus  have  been  able  to  make  certain  valuable  observations 
concerning  rock  layers,  their  relative  positions,  changes  in  tem- 
perature, and  life-remains,  all  of  which  have  been  very  valuable 
toward  an  understanding  of  the  different  stages  of  the  earth's 
growth  toward  its  present  state.  Besides  the  great  processes 
above  named  have  brought  parts  of  the  earth  from  many  thou- 
sands of  feet  below  the  surface  to  our  view,  through  great 
upheavals,  and  this  has  enabled  the  geologists  to  study  the 
structure  of  the  earth  at  great  depths. 

But  there  are  depths  beyond  which  we  know  nothing  from 
observation.  The  great  border  land  between  what  we  know  very 
well  and  that  of  which  we  know  nothing,  forces  us  into  explana- 
tions and  descriptions  that  are  not  altogether  satisfactory.  But 
out  of  it  all  we  know  that  there  have  been  two  great  periods 
in  the  formation  of  the  earth  as  it  is  today.  In  the  first  one 
of  these  periods  there  appears  to  have  been  little  or  no  syste- 
matic arrangement  of  the  earth  materials.  At  the  end  of  this 
period  the  earth  was  made  up  of  a  great  mass  of  heated,  maybe 
molten  materials.  This  great  mass  of  heated  material  con- 
tained probably  all  the  earth  matter  that  we  find  in  the  earth 
today  except  that  there  may  have  been  vast  quantities  of  matter 
added  which  was  produced  from  certain  forms  of  gases  and 
vapors  which  the  heated  earth  was  holding  in  surrounding  space, 
too  light  in  weight  to  be  drawn  to  the  earth  through  gravity 
because  of  the  repulsive  force  of  the  heated  mass. 

The  second  period  began  with  the  return  to  the  heated  surface 
of  the  earth  of  certain  watery  vapors  which,  when  the  crust  of 
the  earth  had  sufficiently  cooled,  settled  in  the  low  places  of  the 
uneven  rock  surface.  Thus  began  to  be  formed  what  afterward 
came  to  be  our  seas  and  oceans.  Then  also  began  the  formation 
of  our  sedimentary  rocks  by  the  process  described  above  under 
the  term  Gradation. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


Laplacian  Hypothesis 


As  to  the  origin  of  the  earth,  we  have  two  theories  which  are 
held  by  men  who  have  given  the  subject  much  study.  The  older 
school  of  geologists  usually  hold  to  what  is  called  "The  Nebular 
Hypothesis."  This  is  also  called  the  "Laplacian  Hypothesis" 
from  one  of  its  earliest  and  ablest  defenders.  This  theory  of 
accounting  for  the  origin  of  the  earth  ends  up  in  a  conclusion 
that  the  earth  was  once  a  molten  mass  and  yet  remains  in  that 
condition  in  the  interior  of  the  sphere.  From  this  we  name  all 
the  rocks  below  the  lowest  layers  of  sedimentary  rocks  as 
igneous  rocks,  or  fire  rocks. 

The  later  theory  of  the  earth's  origin  is  known  as  the  Planetesi- 
mal  Hypothesis.  This  theory  also  supports  the  supposition  that 
the  earth,  at  the  time  that  the  sedimentary  rocks  began  to  be 
deposited,  was  in  a  highly  heated  state,  if  not  red  hot. 

Both  of  these  hypotheses  predicate  the  fact  that  the  earth  was 
evolved  out  of  great  masses  of  nebulous  matter.  From  this  point 
the  two  theories  separate  to  approach  again  just  at  the  beginning 
of  the  formation  of  sedimentary  rocks. 

The  Laplacian  Hypothesis  holds  that  the  members  of  our  solar 
system  were  evolved  out  of  glowing  masses  of  nebulous  matter. 
It  is  also  held  that  this  great  mass  of  nebulous  matter  was 
expanded  so  that  it  occupied  all  the  space  that  is  now  occupied 
by  our  solar  system.  In  the  course  of  long  periods  of  time  this 
nebulous  mass  cooled  and  consequently  shrank.  At  the  same  time 
it  took  on  a  rotary  motion  and  in  the  cooling  and  shrinking  and 
rotating  there  were  certain  masses  of  the  nebula  that  became 
detached  from  the  central  body  but  kept  for  themselves  the 
characteristics  of  the  parent  mass — that  is,  they  cooled,  and 
shrank,  and  rotated.  These  detached  masses  at  first  may  have 
had  the  appearance  of  the  rings  of  Saturn  as  we  see  them  today. 
These  detached  masses  each  having  a  center  of  gravity  of  its 
own  tended  to  become  globular  in  the  course  of  time  and  eventu- 
ally came  to  constitute  the  members  of  our  solar  system. 

The  great  central  nebular  mass,  from  which  these  fragments 
had  been  thrown  in  its  rotary  motion,  kept  on  in  its  shrinking, 
cooling,  and  rotating  till  it  assumed  the  nature  of  the  sun.  The 
solar  system  as  we  know  it  today  with  a  central  sun,  eight  pri- 
mary planets,  asteroids,  moons,  and  other  objects  formed  within 
the  limits  of  the  solar  system,  all  originated  in  the  great  nebula 
which  at  one  time  occupied  the  space  destined  for  our  sun  and 
its  accompanying  members. 

The  several  planets  and  all  other  objects  with  which  we  are 
familiar  in  our  solar  system  must  have  been  thrown  off  from 
the  equatorial  regions  of  the  central  rotating  mass  since  the 
eight  primary  planets  and  their  satellites  are  found  revolving 
about  the  sun  in  a  zone  sixteen  degrees  wide,  eight  on  each  side 


6  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  the  ecliptic.  If  one  should  place  himself  at  the  center  of  the 
sun  and  allow  his  vision  to  extend  toward  the  starry  firmament, 
he  would  see  the  eight  primary  planets  pursuing  their  courses 
about  the  sun  all  in  the  same  direction,  none  of  them  farther 
away  from  the  ecliptic  of  the  heavens  than  eight  degrees. 

These  planets  occupy  distances  from  the  sun  depending  upon 
the  position  of  the  outer  part  of  the  rotating  nebula  at  the  time 
the  minor  mass  was  detached.  For  example,  Neptune  is  farthest 
from  the  sun.  Its  orbit,  therefore,  marks  the  outer  edge  of  the 
parent  nebular  mass  at  the  time  the  mass  was  detached  which 
formed  Neptune.  The  earth's  orbit  about  the  sun,  92,000,000 
miles  distant  from  the  sun  today,  marks  the  outer  surface  of  the 
parent  nebula  at  the  time  the  nebula  which  formed  the  earth 
was  detached. 

Our  earth,  according  to  this  theory,  became  a  particular  indi- 
vidual planet  when  the  nebular  mass  which  was  to  form  our 
planet  was  thrown  off  from  the  parent  mass.  If  the  hypothesis 
is  true  that  the  detached  nebular  mass  retained  the  character- 
istics of  the  parent  mass,  then  we  may  begin  to  think  of  our 
earth  as  an  individual  unit  in  what  is  to  be  the  great  solar  system. 
Our  earth  rotated  on  an  axis,  became  globular,  and  shrank  in 
size.  It  revolved  around  the  central  mass,  for  while  the  motion 
which  it  had  as  a  part  of  the  nebular  mass  was  a  rotary  motion, 
the  moment  it  was  detached,  this  former  rotary  motion  is  re- 
solved into  two  motions,  a  rotary  motion  in  the  unit  itself  and 
a  motion  in  its  part  about  the  central  mass. 

We  come  now  to  study  briefly  the  earth  from  the  time  it  was 
detached  from  the  original  nebular  mass  to  the  beginning  of  the 
formation  of  the  earth's  sedimentary  rocks. 

Without  doubt  the  earth  continued  to  cool,  shrink,  rotate,  and 
revolve.  The  intense  heat  which  the  earth  still  contained,  drove 
all  the  lighter  gases  and  vapors  into  the  space  about  the  earth. 
The  tendency  to  cool  also  favored  the  forming  of  a  crust  on  the 
surface  of  the  earth.  This  crust  also  now  had  a  tendency  to 
retain  the  heat,  and  the  cooling  process  was  checked  except  that 
the  crust  was  becoming  cooler  and  thicker.  The  vapors  and 
heavier  gases  now  began  to  return  to  the  surface  and  to  settle 
in  the  lower  levels.  This  then  is  a  very  brief  account  of  the 
"Nebular  Hypothesis"  or  the  Laplacian  Hypothesis  of  the  origin 
and  growth  from  the  original  nebular  mass  to  the  time  when 
sedimentary  rocks  began  to  be  deposited  upon  the  beds  of  the 
oceans  and  seas. 

The  Planetesimal  Hypothesis 

The  Planetesimal  Hypothesis  is  not  altogether  different  from 
the  hypothesis  which  we  have  just  considered.  The  Planetesi- 
mal Hypothesis  starts  with  a  nebula  but  it  is  a  spiral  nebula. 
This  nebula  already  has  motion  and  its  parts  are  already  be- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  7 

coming  differentiated.  Photographs  show  that  in  these  spiral 
nebulae  there  is  a  central  core  or  necleus  around  which  long 
arms  of  nebulous  matter  are  apparently  revolving.  The  arms 
which  reach  out  from  the  necleus  in  this  spiral  manner  are 
marked  here  and  there  by  knots  of  more  solid  material  than  are 
found  in  other  parts.  To  these  knots  of  semi-solid  matter  found 
in  the  spiral  arms  of  the  nebula,  the  name  planetesimals  has 
been  given.    The  word  means  little  planets. 

These  planetesimals  are  each  separated  from  the  others  in  the 
same  spiral  by  a  mass  of  nebula  of  a  rarer  composition.  In  like 
manner  the  planetesimals  in  one  spiral  arm  are  separated  from 
those  of  another  arm  by  similar  nebulus  matter.  The  planetesi- 
mals, therefore,  appear  to  be  scattered  about  in  some  regular 
order  in  a  field  of  somewhat  rarefied  nebulous  matter  in  the 
center  of  which  is  the  necleus  of  parent  spiral  nebula  from  which 
the  planetesimals  appear  to  have  been  detached  by  reason  of  the 
rotary  motion  of  the  parent  nebula  itself. 

It  is  now  determined  that  the  composition  of  spiral  nebulae 
differs  from  that  assumed  as  the  nature  of  the  nebulae  in  the 
discussion  of  the  Laplacian  Hypothesis.  Geologists  go  as  far 
as  to  say  that  the  knots  which  are  seen  in  the  arms  of  the  spiral 
nebulae  are  of  the  consistency  of  water  or  maybe  as  dense  as 
our  clays  and  rocks. 

Now  the  Planetesimal  Hypothesis  explains  that  one  of  these 
spiral  nebulae  found  in  space  aeons  ago  furnished  the  origin 
of  our  solar  system.  The  knots  found  in  the  arms  furnishing 
the  basis  for  the  planets,  asteroids,  and  probably  some  other 
members  of  our  solar  system.  The  central  part,  the  nucleus  of 
the  nebula,  became  the  sun.  It  is  further  explained  that  as  time 
moved  on  the  knots  gathered  to  themselves  other  knots  as  well 
as  large  quantities  of  nebular  matter  which  tended  to  augment 
particular  planetesimals.  This  union  of  one  planetesimal  with 
another  was  hastened  since  they  are  moving  in  the  same  general 
direction  around  the  nucleus  of  the  spiral  nebula. 

Thus  the  earth  was  brought  into  the  family  of  planets  which 
with  the  sun  and  other  heavenly  bodies  make  up  our  solar  sys- 
tem. This  Planetestimal  Hypothesis  explains  the  origin  of  both 
the  rotary  motion  of  our  earth  on  its  axis,  and  its  revolution 
about  the  sun. 

Stages  of  Growth 

If  then  we  accept  the  Planetesimal  Hypothesis  of  the  origin 
of  the  earth  we  shall  be  interested  in  knowing  how  that  theory 
accounts  for  the  growth  of  the  earth  up  to  the  period  of  the 
beginning  of  sedimentary  rocks.  A  brief  account  of  the  stages 
as  presented  by  this  theory  will  be  given  for  the  reader's  con- 
sideration. 

The  earth  began  in  a  knot  of  a  spiral  nebula ;  this  knot  became 


8  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  nucleus  of  earth-growth.  The  knot  may  have  been  gaseous 
or  planetesimal,  that  is  a  hardened  center.  As  this  nucleus 
moved  in  its  revolution  around  the  center  of  the  spiral  mass,  it 
gathered  other  planetesimals,  gases,  and  other  matter.  The 
earth-knot  increased  in  size  and  grew  more  dense  becoming 
eventually  a  solid  mass.  It  now  may  be  considered  an  earth-body. 
More  and  more  this  earth-body  gathers  other  planetesimals  and 
gases  thus  growing  in  volume  and  taking  on  the  globular  form. 

It  is  supposed  that  an  atmosphere  at  this  time  gathered  about 
the  earth.  It  probably  did  not  contain  all  the  gases  and  vapors 
that  are  now  known,  but  there  was  a  large  sheet  of  what  we  may 
call  the  earth's  air  or  atmosphere.  This  atmosphere  gathered 
more  gases  and  vapors,  for  we  must  understand  that  our  earth 
had  its  rotation,  and  its  revolution  about  the  central  mass,  the 
old  spiral  nebula.  The  earth  mass  was  undergoing  a  condensing 
process  and  as  a  result  the  earth  was  throwing  off  heat,  and 
for  the  time  the  atmosphere  was  increasing  in  volume. 

The  earth  was  becoming  more  condensed  and  more  heated. 
The  heat  was  so  intense  that  portions  of  the  earth  became  molten. 
Thus  was  laid  the  basis  for  volcanic  action.  This  theory  of 
the  cause  of  volcanic  action  does  not  admit  the  necessity  for  a 
molten  interior,  but  explains  that  volcanic  activity  results  from 
the  accumulation  of  heat  which  is  produced  by  compression  and 
other  heat-generating  forces.  "The  heat  of  the  interior  of  the 
earth  is  thus  carried  outward  about  as  fast  as  it  liquifies  the 
more  fusible  parts  within  its  reach.  Thus  the  interior  of  the 
earth  only  reaches  the  temperature  necessary  to  melt  the  more 
fusible  parts,  leaving  the  earth  as  a  whole  solid  all  the  time." 

We  have  seen  that  the  theory  provides  for  the  escape  of  gases 
from  the  earth  as  it  passes  through  alternate  stages  of  heat  and 
cold,  and  that  the  escaped  gases  and  the  vapors  and  gases  that 
are  gathered  as  the  young  earth  passes  through  space,  all  are 
held  to  the  earth  by  gravity  though  there  was  in  the  earlier 
periods  no  segregation  of  vapors  and  gases,  but  one  great  mass. 
But  the  time  came  when  the  vapors,  particularly  water,  began 
to  be  a  distinct  element  held  by  this  atmospheric  mass.  In  the 
course  of  time  this  water  held  in  the  atmosphere  began  to  be 
precipitated  to  the  earth's  surface  settling  in  the  lowest  levels 
and  thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  our  seas  and  oceans. 

Foundation  of  Seas  and  Oceans 

The  beds  thus  ready  for  the  seas  and  oceans  are  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  the  depressions  in  the  uneven  surface  of  the  solid 
earth.  The  theory  further  explains  that  all  future  additions 
to  the  earth's  surface  in  the  way  of  planetesimals  must  reach 
either  the  sea  covered  basins  or  the  elevated  portions  of  the 
exposed  surface.  All  materials  reaching  the  earth's  surface 
which  was  covered  with  water  would  rest  on  the  surface  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  9 

by  reason  of  the  protection  which  the  young  ocean  furnished 
would  not  disintegrate  and  hence  not  lose  its  weight,  but  would 
constantly  add  to  the  downward  pressure  upon  the  sea  bed.  The 
planetesimal  matter  which  reached  the  exposed  higher  grounds 
would  in  course  of  time  be  subject  to  the  weathering  forces  and 
therefore  lose  in  specific  gravity.  There  was  thus  established 
an  unequal  downward  pressure  upon  the  earth's  surface  which 
together  with  other  forces  brought  about  a  constant  tendency 
to  depression  in  the  sea  bed  while  there  was  a  similar  tendency 
to  move  upward  in  the  exposed  portions.  Thus  the  continental 
forms  were  pushed  up  while  the  ocean  beds  were  as  constantly 
sinking. 

When  the  atmosphere  had  been  cleared  of  much  of  the  vapor 
of  water,  and  probably  other  vapors  and  water  were  distributed 
over  the  earth's  surface,  there  appeared  the  first  life  forms. 
This  first  appearance  of  life  did  not  therefore  await  the  full 
maturity  of  the  earth  but  these  forms  may  have  developed  as 
the  earth  approached  the  later  stages  of  its  growth. 

The  Planetesimal  Theory  places  the  period  of  Volcanic  activity 
at  this  stage  of  the  earth's  growth.  It  would  establish  a  rather 
extended  period  here  in  which  one  of  the  three  great  processes, 
previously  named,  Vulcanism,  greatly  modified  the  earth's  sur- 
face. At  the  same  time  there  seems  to  be  confusion  in  the  story 
as  told  by  the  rocks  for  there  seems  to  be  great  intermingling 
of  igneous  rocks  with  the  first  formation  of  sedimentary  rocks. 
In  fact  we  seem  to  have  reached  the  state  when  the  three  great 
processes  mentioned  previously  are  very  active.  These  three 
forces  are  Diastrophism.  This  scientific  term  names  all  the 
forces  that  are  at  work  or  have  been  at  work  either  to  elevate 
or  to  depress  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Vulcanism — a  term  which 
names  the  forces  which  bring  the  lavas,  which  have  been  formed 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth,  to  the  outer  surface  of  the  earth. 
Gradation  names  the  processes  by  which  the  earth  material  is 
transported  from  one  place  to  another  and  is  the  process  which 
the  layman  may  see  carried  on  day  by  day  at  the  present  time. 

We  have  thus  briefly  traced  the  earth  through  the  various 
stages  of  its  growth  as  described  in  the  Planetesimal  Hypothesis 
from  the  spiral  nebula  to  that  stage  of  the  earth's  development 
where  theory  gives  way  to  the  unmistakable  and  convincing 
testimony  of  the  sedimentary  rocks.  From  this  stage  or  the  in- 
terpretation of  real  facts  must  take  the  place  of  hypothesis. 
However  we  must  not  discard  hypothesis  as  an  old  friend  whom 
we  no  longer  need,  for  there  are  many  cases  where  the  revealed 
facts  hinder  us  from  bridging  over  from  one  group  of  known 
facts  to  another  group  of  known  facts  and  we  should  have  no 
way  of  crossing  the  chasm  except  by  the  good  offices  of  our 
friend,  Hypothesis. 


10  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


The  Geological  Eras 

Whether  we  favor  the  Laplacian  or  the  Planetisimal  Hypothe- 
sis, as  to  the  formation  of  the  earth  from  the  earliest  times,  we 
will  be  perfectly  safe  in  assuming  that  there  was  before  the 
formation  of  the  first  sedimentary  rocks  a  "crust"  upon  which 
the  first  rock  layers  were  deposited.  The  older  theory  explained 
that  this  crust  was  composed  of  igneous  rocks  which  had  hard- 
ened from  the  loss  of  heat  by  radiation.  The  waste  material 
from  the  more  elevated  portions  of  this  igneous  crust  were 
washed  into  the  shallow  beds  of  the  ocean  and  the  work  of  laying 
down  the  first  stratified  rocks  began. 

The  Planetesimal  theory  does  not  admit  that  the  earth  was 
ever  molten,  and  so  regards  the  surface  of  the  earth  prior  to 
sedimentation  as  made  up  of  planetesimal  matter.  The  sup- 
porters of  both  theories  agree  that  there  was  great  intermingling 
of  the  first  layers  and  the  "crust."  There  is  slight  evidence  of 
life  available,  but  there  must  have  been  great  confusion  at  the 
time  the  first  layers  were  formed.  Igneous  matter  predominates 
in  the  first  layers.  In  fact  volcanic  action  may  have  thrown  vast 
quantities  of  igneous  matter  through  rents  in  many  of  the  first 
layers.  In  fact  volcanic  action  has  brought  large  quantities  of 
molten  matter  to  the  surface  within  the  past  few  centuries. 

Geology  has  provided  for  us  a  very  simple  system  of  classifi- 
cation of  these  rock  layers  based  upon  the  absence  or  presence 
of  the  remains  of  life-forms  in  these  layers.  These  layers  have 
been  studied  and  named,  and  their  life  history  written,  and  their 
relationships  established.  The  individual  layers  have  been 
brought  into  groups  and  named  from  the  condition  of  life-forms 
the  remains  of  which  have  been  found  in  the  various  groups. 
The  time  occupied  in  depositing  the  layers  in  any  group,  is 
spoken  of  as  an  era,  while  subdivisions  of  an  era  are  known 
as  periods.  A  brief  description  of  the  eras  will  enable  the  reader 
to  follow  the  descriptive  matter  with  greater  ease. 

The  names  of  the  five  geologic  eras  are :  The  Archeozoic  Era ; 
The  Proterozoic  Era;  The  Paleozoic  Era;  The  Messozoic  Era; 
and  the  Econozoic  Era.  These  terms  seem  to  have  a  common 
element,  and  so  they  do.  The  word  zoic  means  animal,  so  each 
word  has  something  to  do  with  animal — hence  life. 

Geological  Time  Divisions 

Archeozoic :  The  Archeozoic  Era  includes  a  group  of  the  old- 
est stratified  rocks,  and  these  under  ordinary  circumstances 
would  be  found  just  above  the  "crust"  of  the  earth.  The  word 
means  "beginning  of  life."  However,  few  if  any  remains  of  ani- 
mal life  have  been  found  in  the  layers  of  this  era.  So  uncertain 
are  the  geologists  about  the  identity  of  life  forms  in  this  era,  that 
the  word  Azoic — no  life — has  been  applied  to  this  era.    The  rocks 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  11 

of  the  Archeozoic  Era  are  so  interwoven  with  the  igneous  rocks 
of  the  crust  that  great  confusion  exists  and  scientists  are  very 
uncertain  of  their  ground  in  this  era. 

Proterozoic:  The  Proterozoic  Era  names  the  time  when  the 
group  of  layers  just  above  the  Archeozoic  rocks  were  forming. 
The  word  may  be  freely  translated  "before  life",  and  is  applied 
to  those  rock  layers  in  which  few  if  any  life  remains  have  been 
found.  The  Archeozoic  and  Proterozoic  Eras  are  often  classed 
as  one  Era  and  called  Azoic — without  life.  There  are  no  ex- 
posures of  either  the  Archeozoic  or  the  Proterozoic  rocks  in 
Illinois,  and  no  borings  have  reached  any  of  these  layers  in  this 
state.  But  some  igneous  formations  have  been  found  in  Pope 
and  Hardin  counties. 

Paleozoic:  The  Paleozoic  Era  is  the  third  era  in  order  and 
lies  just  above  the  Proterozoic  rocks.  The  word  means  ancient 
life — that  is,  early  life.  The  oldest  animal  remains  are  found 
in  the  rocks  of  this  era.  Since  they  are  the  oldest  forms  they 
would  be  by  the  evolutionary  theory  the  lowest  life  forms  when 
structure  is  considered.  Something  like  four  hundred  species  of 
the  fauna  of  this  era  have  been  classified,  belonging  mostly  to 
the  invertebrates.  Some  plant  life  has  also  been  recognized.  By 
reference  to  the  Table  of  Geologic  Time  Divisions  it  will  be  seen 
there  are  seven  periods  of  time  in  the  Paleozoic  Era  and  hence 
seven  systems  of  rock  layers.  As  students  of  the  geology  of 
our  own  state,  we  should  know  something  of  the  systems  of  this 
period  as  they  are  nearly  all  found  cropping  out  in  Illinois.  These 
we  shall  consider  later  in  this  chapter. 

Messozoic:  The  Messozoic  Era  includes  the  time  that  four 
systems  of  rock  layers  were  being  formed.  This  group  of  layers 
lies  just  above  the  layers  of  the  Paleozoic  systems.  The  word 
Messozoic  means  middle  life — that  is,  middle  between  the  early 
life  and  the  later  life.  The  animal  remains  in  these  rock  layers 
are  of  reptiles,  amphibians,  and  mollusks,  with  a  few  low  forms 
of  mammals,  fishes,  and  birds.  Few  of  the  layers  of  this  era 
out-crop  in  Illinois. 

Cenozoic :  The  last  era  is  the  Cenozoic  Era.  This  era  includes 
all  the  rock  layers  in  which  we  have  remains  of  modern  life.  We 
shall  find  that  Illinois  will  furnish  much  of  interest  from  this  era. 

The  Geology  of  Illinois 

There  are  no  rocks  exposed  in  Illinois,  from  either  the  Arch- 
eozoic or  the  Proterozoic  Eras.  And  no  borings  have  reached 
completely  through  the  Proterozoic  Era.  However,  borings 
have  reached  the  Cambrian  layers  which  are  the  lowest  layers 
in  the  Paleozoic  Era.  The  systems  in  this  era  are  as  follows: 
The  oldest  at  the  bottom  of  the  list  and  the  newest  layers  at 
the  top: — 


12  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Permian 

Pennsylvanian   (Coal) 
p  i        .  Mississippian  (Subcarboniferous) 

Paleozoic  Devonian 

^ra  Silurian 

Ordovician 
Cambrian 

So  far  as  known  there  are  no  rocks  from  the  Cambrian  layers 
exposed  in  Illinois  and  we  are  not  specially  interested  in  these 
layers  in  the  study  of  Illinois  Geology.  But  when  we  come  to 
the  Ordovician  rocks  we  are  approaching  familiar  ground. 

Theoretically  the  layers  of  rock  rest  on  top  of  one  another  in  a 
very  regular  and  orderly  way — the  oldest  rocks  at  the  bottom 
and  the  latest  formations  on  top.  This  theoretical  plan  is  not 
always  found  in  the  rock  layers  when  exposed  in  bluffs  or  cliffs, 
and  in  the  borings  of  wells.  Certain  rock  layers  that  are  promi- 
nent in  certain  places  are  entirely  absent  in  other  places. 

A  region  as  long  as  Illinois  from  north  to  south  might  have 
its  north  end  depressed  so  as  to  be  covered  with  the  ocean  while 
the  south  end  might  be  elevated  many  hundreds  of  feet  above 
sea  level.  In  that  case  there  might  be  sedimentary  rocks  de- 
posited on  the  north  end  while  the  south  end  would  have  no 
layers  of  that  particular  deposit.  Therefore  layers  that  are 
prominent  in  one  part  of  Illinois  may  be  absent  from  other 
parts  of  the  state.  In  boring  wells  we  find  that  the  records  kept 
of  the  strata  passed  through  are  not  the  same,  though  two  bor- 
ings might  not  be  many  miles  apart.  A  deposit  at  a  certain  river 
bluff  might  show  forty  feet  and  borings  might  show  that  this 
layer  might  decrease  in  thickness  away  from  the  river  in  a 
wedge  shape  and  finally  disappear. 

It  has  been  stated  above  that  there  are  no  rocks  of  the  Arch- 
eozoic and  Proterozoic  Eras  in  Illinois  so  far  as  we  know  by 
observation.  The  oldest  rocks  we  know  are  from  the  Paleozoic 
Era.  This  era  has  seven  periods  and  so  seven  systems  of  rocks, 
and  all  but  one  are  found  in  Illinois.  The  lowest  system,  the 
Cambrian,  does  not  outcrop  so  far  as  is  now  known,  but  its  pres- 
ence under  the  other  six  layers  is  known  by  borings. 

Paleozoic: — The  oldest  known  layer  of  the  Paleozoic  Era 
which  outcrops  in  Illinois,  is  a  layer  of  the  second  or  Ordovician 
System.  This  is  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  which  is  to  be  seen  on 
the  Rock  river  in  the  vicinity  of  Oregon  and  following  down  the 
river  almost  to  Dixon,  and  also  on  the  Illinois  in  the  region  of 
La  Salle  and  Ottawa.  The  outcroppings  of  these  rocks  in  this 
vicinity  is  brought  about  by  the  anticline  which  runs  from 
northwest  toward  the  southeast  crossing  the  Rock  and  the  Illinois 
at  Oregon  and  LaSalle.  This  is  known  as  the  LaSalle  anticline. 
It  traverses  the  state  toward  the  southeast  and  is  the  explana- 
tion of  the  oil  regions  in  the  southeastern  counties  of  Illinois. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  13 

There  are  two  economic  values  of  the  St.  Peter  sandstone. 
In  northern  Illinois  and  in  Wisconsin  where  this  layer  is  found 
beneath  the  Trenton  and  Galena  limestone,  it  is  a  reservoir 
where  vast  quantities  of  water  are  stored  which  is  made  avail- 
able through  artesian  wells.  The  St.  Peter  sandstone  which 
lies  several  hundred  feet  below  the  surface  in  Northern  Illinois 
and  Southern  Wisconsin,  outcrops  in  Central  Wisconsin  where 
it  gathers  the  water  for  its  reservoirs  in  Northern  Illinois.  A 
second  economic  value  is  found  in  the  qualities  of  the  sand  which 
adapts  it  to  the  manufacture  of  glass. 

Immediately  above  the  St.  Peter  sandstone  we  find  several 
layers  of  limestone.  The  names  given  in  Northern  Illinois  are 
Plattville  and  Galena  limestones.  The  layers  are  about  400  feet 
thick.  These  two  forms  of  limestone  are  of  economic  value. 
The  value  as  building  material  is  important,  also  for  road  mak- 
ing and  also  for  lime.  These  rocks  are  also  of  great  value  in 
that  they  contain  large  quantities  of  lead  and  zinc.  The  lead 
mines  of  Jo  Daviess  County  were  flourishing  in  the  early  and 
middle  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  but  the  opening  of  lead 
and  zinc  mines  in  Missouri  has  dulled  the  lead  interest  in  the 
Galena  mines. 

In  the  south  end  of  the  state  two  layers,  Kinswick  and  the 
Plattville  correspond,  or  are  closely  related  to  the  Galena  and 
Plattville  rocks  of  the  north  end  of  the  state.  But  the  Kinswick 
and  the  Plattville  do  not  outcrop  in  Southern  Illinois,  and  they 
are  of  no  economic  value  so  far  as  known. 

Another  layer  or  layers  of  the  Ordovician  system  is  known 
as  the  Richmond  shales.  These  layers  were  laid  down  from 
quantities  of  mud  (clay)  sand,  and  limy  sediment.  This  Rich- 
mond shale  is  therefore  sandstone,  limestone,  and  shale.  Often 
the  layers  are  distinct,  but  quite  as  often  the  three  elements 
were  apparently  intermingled  and  the  result  is  a  confused  mass 
containing  all  or  a  part  of  the  three  constituent  elements. 

This  Richmond  shale  is  economically  valuable.  The  limestone 
is  good  building  material,  the  shale  is  used  for  brick  and  other 
clay  products.  These  layers  outcrop  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Thebes  in  Alexander  County,  where  the  original  rock  layers 
have  been  greatly  disturbed.  The  sandstone  is  known  as  the 
Thebes  sandstone  while  the  limestone  layers  are  known  as  the 
Fernvale  limestone. 

Silurian : — The  Silurian  System,  the  third  oldest  system  of 
rocks  in  Illinois  is  known  by  two  important  layers,  one  the 
Niagara  limestone,  the  other,  the  Alexandrian,  which  is  made 
up  of  limestone  and  shale.  The  Niagara  limestone  is  the  most 
important  rock  in  the  northeast  part  of  Illinois.  This  formation 
is  present  in  about  eight  of  the  counties  lying  in  the  vicinity 
of  Lake  Michigan.  It  is  also  found  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  state  in  the  vicinity  of  Rock  River  and  about  Galena.    The 


14  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Galena  deposits  are  rich  in  lead  and  zinc.  The  Alexandrian 
layers  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  state  are  marked  near 
Thebes  as  Orchard  Creek  shale,  to  the  north  of  Thebes  as  Sexton 
Creek  limestone.  These  layers  furnish  material  for  building 
purposes,  for  concrete  work,  and  for  macadam  roads. 

Devonian: — The  Devonian  System  lies  just  above  the  Silurian 
rocks.  This  system  is  studied  as  the  older  and  later  Devonian. 
The  first  is  found  along  the  Mississippi  River  from  a  point  some 
miles  south  of  Thebes  in  Alexander  County  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Grand  Tower  in  Jackson  County.  The  outcroppings 
occur  in  the  bluffs  along  the  river  and  inland  along  the  tribu- 
taries for  some  six  to  ten  miles.  The  oldest  layers  are  known 
as  New  Scotland  Beds  and  are  of  lime  formation.  These  rocks 
are  also  found  all  along  the  Mississippi  as  far  north  as  Rock 
Island.  Another  deposit  of  the  Devonian  system  is  known  as 
the  Clear  Creek  limestone,  and  is  found  in  Union  County  and 
as  far  north  as  Grand  Tower.  Here  also  are  the  Hamilton  lime- 
stones and  further  north  along  the  Mississippi  are  the  black 
shale  deposits  in  Calhoun  County  and  farther  north.  All  the 
outcroppings  of  Devonian  rocks  found  in  the  north  part  of  the 
state  are  of  the  later  or  upper  Devonian.  The  geologic  maps 
do  not  show  actual  deposits  in  the  eastern  part  of  Illinois,  but 
the  maps  point  out  the  possibility  of  a  large  part  of  eastern 
Illinois  as  being  underlain  with  Devonian  layers. 

Mississippian: — The  system  just  above  the  Devonian  is  the 
Mississippian  which  is  divided  into  an  upper  and  a  lower  Missis- 
sippian. The  Mississippian  system  is  made  up  of  limestone, 
shales,  and  sandstone.  The  different  layers  take  on  different 
names  locally.  The  oldest  layer  is  known  as  Kinderhook  from 
its  being  found  at  Kinderhook,  Pike  County.  This  deposit  is 
also  found  in  Hardin  and  Pope  Counties.  This  is  a  shale  and 
takes  on  various  shades  in  the  several  places  where  it  is  found. 
It  is  found  as  far  north  as  Henderson  County.  The  Burlington 
group  of  limestones  are  next  older  than  the  Kinderhook.  These 
rocks  are  found  in  the  western  line  of  counties  from  Henderson 
to  Jersey.  The  limestone  layers  are  of  different  degrees  of 
quality,  some  of  them  decompose  when  brought  into  sunlight  and 
air;  others  are  of  a  good  quality  and  some  lime  is  burned  from 
them. 

Keokuk: — Above  the  Burlington  limestone  is  the  Keokuk 
group.  It  is  found  at  Nauvoo  and  at  Hamilton  in  Hancock 
County.  These  layers  are  rich  in  the  remains  of  animal  life. 
The  lower  beds  are  a  cherty  limestone  while  the  upper  beds  are 
hydraulic  limestone  in  places,  and  some  cement  has  been  man- 
ufactured from  these  layers. 

The  St.  Louis  group  lies  above  the  Burlington  and  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  of  the  Mississippian  system.  This  group 
of  lime,  shale,  and  sandstone  layers  can  be  traced  from  Hancock 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  15 

County  south  along  the  Mississippi  till  it  reaches  Jackson  and 
Union  counties.  Here  it  turns  east  and  constitutes  the  back- 
bone of  the  Ozark  mountains.  The  water  and  weather  resisting 
qualities  of  the  St.  Louis  limestones  make  them  very  valuable 
for  building  purposes.  The  stone  for  the  foundation  of  the 
Capitol  at  Springfield  was  taken  from  the  St.  Louis  limestone 
in  Hancock  County.  In  Hardin  County,  at  the  east  end  of  the 
Ozarks,  the  St.  Louis  limestone  is  traversed  by  veins  of  fluor 
spar,  zinc,  lead  and  sliver.  These  minerals  were  mined  as  early 
as  1842,  but  they  could  not  be  gotten  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
pay.  It  is  said  these  are  the  only  rocks  in  the  state  that  are 
traversed  by  true  metallic  veins. 

The  next  older  layer  of  the  Mississippian  system  is  the  Chester 
group.  It  is  found  in  the  south  part  of  the  state  and  extends 
only  as  far  north  as  the  latitude  of  Alton.  The  layers  are  lime- 
stone, sandstone,  and  shale.  The  layers  outcrop  in  a  belt  which 
starts  in  Hardin  County  and  follows  the  southwest  border  of  the 
coal  field  to  the  vicinity  of  Belleville.  Good  building  stone  is 
found  in  both  the  limestone  and  in  the  sandstone  of  this  group. 

Pennsylvanian : — The  Pennsylvanian  system  is  next  to  the  last 
of  the  Paleozoic  Era.  Without  doubt  this  is  the  most  important 
system  in  this  era.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Carboniferous 
system  because  the  coal  measures  are  found  in  these  stratified 
rocks. 

Pennsylvanian 

This  group  is  divided  in  Illinois  into  three  well  marked  layers ; 
the  Pottsville,  the  Carbondale,  and  the  McLeansboro.  The  Potts- 
ville  is  a  deep  layer  of  sandstone,  sometimes  called  "Mill  Stone 
Grit."  It  is  about  200  feet  thick  in  Southern  Illinois  but  thins 
to  about  25  feet  in  the  north  part  of  the  state.  These  rocks 
are  exposed  in  the  north  sides  of  the  Ozarks  and  are  variously 
colored.  Some  rocks  are  nearly  white,  but  often  stained  red  or 
brown  by  the  presence  of  iron. 

Above  the  Pottsville  sandstone  lies  the  coal  measures  known 
as  the  Carbondale  and  the  McLeansboro  formations.  These 
layers  are,  combined,  1,000  or  1,200  feet  thick.  They  are  com- 
posed of  alternate  layers  of  shale,  sandstone,  conglomerate,  lime- 
stone and  coal,  with  considerable  iron  intermingling  with  the 
other  layers.  The  shale  strata  make  up  a  greater  portion  of  the 
thickness  of  the  formations.  These  layers  lie  on  generally  hori- 
zontal position,  the  dip,  however,  is  sufficient  to  carry  certain 
seams  from  very  near  the  surface  to  many  hundred  feet  in  the 
central  and  northern  part  of  the  coal  field. 

The  coal  field  in  Illinois  occupies  about  37,000  square  miles 
and  has  very  well  denned  boundaries.  The  workable  veins  are 
deeper  in  the  central  part  of  the  state  while  around  the  margins 
of  the  field  the  workable  veins  may  be  found  nearer  the  surface. 


16  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

There  are  sixteen  coal  seams  in  the  coal  measures,  ranging  in 
thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  in  some 
places.  The  proportion  of  coal  to  the  entire  thickness  of  the 
system  is  as  1  to  40,  or  one  fortieth  of  the  thickness.  If  the 
Coal  Measures  are  1,200  feet  thick  that  would  give  thirty  feet 
for  the  thickness  of  all  the  coal  seams. 

Just  below  each  vein  of  coal  is  often  found  a  very  good  quality 
of  clay  and  in  some  places  it  is  used  for  the  manufacture  of  com- 
mercial products.  Above  the  veins  of  coal  there  is  a  roof  usually 
of  shale  but  now  and  then  of  limestone.  There  are  nine  different 
layers  of  coal  in  Illinois  that  are  or  have  been  worked  and  there 
are  other  thinner  veins  that  may  be  worked,  but  of  course  not 
so  profitably.  The  coal  in  Illinois  is  all  of  the  grade  known  as 
bituminous. 

There  are  few  or  no  examples  of  the  Permian  system  in  Illi- 
nois and  we  pass  to  the  next  era. 

Cenozoic: — The  last  era  is  the  Cenozoic.  This  era  has  two 
systems,  the  Tertiary  and  the  Quaternary.  The  Tertiary  for- 
mation approached  Illinois  from  the  south  but  reached  only 
the  counties  which  border  the  Ohio  river,  Alexander,  Pulaski, 
Massac,  and  Pope.  The  deposits  are  sandy  shales  and  conglom- 
arate.  Some  deposits  of  clay  are  thought  to  be  of  the  quality  of 
potter's  clay.  Worthen  says  that  there  are  signs  of  Tertiary 
deposits  along  the  Mississippi  River  as  far  north  as  the  vicinity 
of  Quincy. 

The  Quarternary  System  "embraces  all  the  superficial  mater- 
ial, including  sands,  clays,  gravel,  and  soil."  These  are  spread 
rather  evenly  over  the  state  and  constitute  what  geologists  call 
"Mantle  rock."  It  is  of  different  thicknesses  in  different  parts 
of  the  state.  There  are  small  areas  in  the  Ozarks  where  there 
is  no  mantle  rock,  the  solid  layers  being  exposed  to  the  winds  and 
rain,  and  running  water.  In  many  places  in  this  state  the 
mantle  rock  is  several  feet  deep. 

The  Glacial  Period 

The  Cenozoic  Era  is  so  recent  and  its  history  is  so  vitally 
related  to  the  life  of  the  human  race  that  it  will  be  quite  proper 
to  give  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  geological  story  of  this 
period.  As  said  before,  the  Cenozoic  era  is  divided  into  the  Ter- 
tiary and  the  Quaternary  periods.  The  later  period  is  popularly 
divided  into  the  Glacial  and  the  Post-Glacial  formations.  These 
formations  have  been  so  recent  and  the  territory  covered  so 
extensive,  that  great  interest  attaches  to  them. 

In  North  America  there  seems  to  have  been  three  great 
centers  of  glacial  movement — one  known  as  the  Labrador  center ; 
another  known  as  the  Keewatin  center;  and  the  third  as  the 
Cordilleran  center.  From  the  Labrador  center  a  great  ice  sheet 
seems  to  have  moved  to  the  east  and  covered  th  gulf  of  St. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  17 

Lawrence  and  adjacent  islands;  also  west  into  the  Hudson  Bay 
region;  a  third  movement  was  toward  the  southwest,  toward 
the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes.  From  the  Keewatin  center,  great 
fields  of  ice  were  sent  to  the  southwest  reaching  the  arid  regions 
of  the  western  plains ;  here  it  came  in  contact  with  the  advance 
movements  from  the  Cordilleran  center. 

The  ice  sheet  which  moved  southward  from  the  peninsula  of 
Labrador  is  the  one  we  in  Illinois  are  specially  interested  in. 
There  was  slight  opposition  in  the  path  of  this  movement.  It 
reached  our  state  at  the  northeast  corner  and  spread  almost 
entirely  over  it.  It  seemed  to  move  south  and  west  across  the 
state,  reaching  its  farthest  point  at  the  foot  of  the  Ozarks,  six- 
teen hundred  miles  from  Labrador.  The  advancing  front  in 
Illinois  took  on  a  sort  of  cresent  shape,  and  its  furthest  move- 
ment southward  reached  a  curved  line  running  from  Chester  in 
Randolph  County  southeast  into  Jackson  County,  eastward 
through  Jackson  and  eastward  through  Williamson,  and  north- 
east through  Saline  and  Gallatin,  reaching  the  Wabash  near  its 
mouth.  This  line  marks  also  the  southern  limit  of  the  prairie 
and  is  coincident  with  the  northern  foothills  of  the  Ozarks, 
which  trend  in  a  general  east  and  west  direction. 

Illinois  was  subject  to  at  least  four  ice  sheet  invasions  accord- 
ing to  the  latest  investigations.  These  in  order  of  time  were: 
First,  the  Illinois  sheet,  the  one  just  described  which  seems  to 
have  covered  nearly  the  entire  estate.  The  ice  sheet  seems  not 
to  have  been  able  to  push  its  way  over  the  Ozarks.  The  counties 
partly  covered  by  the  ice  sheet  are  Jackson,  Williamson.  Saline. 
Gallatin,  and  White;  those  not  reached  by  the  ice  were  the 
counties  of  Union,  Johnson,  Pope,  Hardin,  Alexander.  Pulaski 
and  Massac.  This  is  the  largest  unglaciated  area  in  the  state. 
There  is  another  area  which  the  ice  sheet  did  not  cover.  It  is 
in  the  northwest  part  of  the  state  and  includes  most  of  Jo 
Daviess  County.  Then  there  is  a  third  area  which  is  put  down 
on  the  map  as  a  drif tless  area ;  this  is  in  the  south  side  of  Pike 
County  and  including  all  the  county  of  Calhoun. 

There  was  a  second  invasion  which  is  known  as  the  Iowan 
sheet.  It  is  not  known  whether  this  sheet  had  its  origin  in 
Labrador  or  near  the  Hudson  Bay,  but  more  than  likely  from 
the  Keewatin  center.  It  seems  to  have  approached  Illinois  from 
the  northwest  and  to  have  moved  southeastward  over  the  state. 
There  is  a  "profusion  of  large  granatoid  boulders  which  lie 
chiefly  on  the  surface  and  are  somewhat  aggregated  into  a 
boulder  belt  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  tract."  From  these 
boulders  the  people  of  some  of  the  localities  where  they  are 
plentiful  have  built  residences  and  other  buildings,  yard  fences, 
and  ornamental  structures.  They  vary  in  size  from  six  inches 
in  diameter  to  two  feet  or  more.  Such  houses  and  buildings 
as  mentioned  may  be  seen  in  DeKalb  and  in  adjacent  counties. 


18  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  area  covered  by  this  Iowan  invasion  may  be  bounded  by 
Rock  River  on  the  west,  Wisconsin  on  the  north,  Lake  Michigan 
on  the  east,  and  the  parallel  of  thirty-nine  north  latitude  on 
the  south. 

A  third  invasion  of  Illinois  by  ice  sheets  from  the  north  is 
called  the  Wisconsin  invasion.  This  ice  sheet  covered  the  north- 
east quarter  of  the  state.  It  extended  south  to  Clark  County  on 
the  east  side  of  the  state  and  reached  a  distance  west  of  Lake 
Michigan  of  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles.  It  would  be  possible 
therefore  to  find  remains  of  all  three  of  these  ice  sheets  in  a 
single  boring  in  the  territory  around  the  west  side  of  Lake 
Michigan. 

No  other  single  agent  has  been  so  potent  in  the  modification 
of  the  surface  of  the  earth  as  have  glaciers  and  ice  sheets. 
When  we  remember  that  these  ice  sheets  were  hundreds  of  feet 
and  possibly  thousands  of  feet  thick,  and  were  hundreds  of  miles 
in  width  and  length,  some  adequate  notion  may  be  formed  of 
their  power  to  plow  up  and  completely  change  the  surface 
structure  of  the  earth. 

The  debris  these  ice  sheets  brought  down  with  them  from  the 
Laurentian  highlands  was  distributed  over  nearly  all  the  state. 
This  material  which  eventually  became  the  basis  of  our  soil  in 
the  glaciated  areas,  was  transported  in  several  ways :  first,  much 
of  it  was  pushed  along  ahead  of  the  front  part  of  the  advancing 
glacial  sheet,  so  that  when  the  forward  movement  began  slowing 
up,  this  material  was  left  scattered  along  in  lines  agreeing  in 
general  with  the  front  of  the  advancing  glacial  sheet  at  various 
times.  These  deposits  have  a  general  east  and  west  or  a  north- 
west and  southeast  direction.  Second,  much  material  was  car- 
ried along  under  the  ice-sheet  and  ground  to  finer  parts.  This 
is  found  distributed  pretty  evenly  over  the  state.  Third,  other 
material  was  carried  on  the  surface  of  the  ice-sheet  and  would 
often  become  deeply  inbedded  in  it.  As  the  great  flow  of  ice 
approached  the  warmer  latitudes,  these  objects  carried  on  the 
surface  of  the  sheet  would  become  warm  and  would  gradually 
work  their  way  deeply  into  the  ice.  When  the  flow  southward 
as  finally  checked  these  objects  ate  their  way  to  the  bottom  of  the 
ice  and  rested  on  the  earth's  surface.  Lastly,  vast  quantities  of 
waste  were  carried  by  the  streams  which  continually  flowed  from 
the  melting  ice.  Much  of  this  detritus  was  left  on  the  broad  flat 
prairies,  but  vast  quantities  were  carried  by  running  water  into 
the  creeks  and  rivers  and  at  flood  times  when  the  river  over- 
flowed its  banks,  the  sediment  was  left  on  the  overflowed  land 
to  build  up  the  alluvial  bottoms. 

The  material  which  these  glaciers  brought  into  our  state 
is  called  Drift.  Its  composition  varies,  but  it  is  usually  found 
to  be  sand,  clay,  gravel  and  boulders.  This  drift  is  often  found 
stratified,  but  more  generally  is  without  definite  layer  formation. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


19 


This  material  will  be  further  considered  when  we  discuss  the 
soils  of  our  state. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  phase  of  the  Geology — the  Human  or 
Present  Period. 

The  Present  Period 

We  now  see  the  earth  as  the  home  of  man.  Through  untold 
ages  the  Creator  has  been  gradually  unfolding  his  plan  to  us, 
of  fitting  the  earth  by  these  great  geologic  processes  to  be  man's 
temporary  home.  There  has  been  deposited  in  the  various  lay- 
ers of  the  earth  all  kinds  of  rocks,  metals,  useful  and  precious, 
oil,  coal,  water,  etc.  On  its  surface  He  has  caused  the  trees  and 
plants,  grasses,  grains,  for  the  food  and  clothing  of  the  race. 
Animal  life,  which  is  so  near  man  in  intelligence,  has   been 


MONK'S  MOUND,  NEAR  EAST   ST.   LOUIS 

scientifically  distributed  over  the  earth  and  everything  has  con- 
spired to  produce  an  environment  where  God's  greatest  experi- 
ments— the  nurture  of  the  human  race — is  in  process  of  comple- 
tion. It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  forces  which  have  been 
operating  through  all  the  geological  ages  have  all  run  their 
courses  and  are  no  longer  active  and  powerful.  Many  of  the 
forces  which  carried  on  the  great  process  are  still  active  and 
will  continue  to  work  for  untold  ages.  Among  these  we  may 
mention  the  forces  affecting  the  elevation  and  subsidence  of  the 
continental  forms;  the  work  which  has  been  done  by  running 
water  is  still  being  carried  on;  the  forces  of  disintegration — ■ 
alternation  of  heat  and  cold  by  the  help  of  moisture  are  still  as 
active  as  ever.  We  might  from  this  brief  survey  conclude  that 
the  end  of  the  world  is  not  yet,  and  so  it  seems.  The  age  of  man 
is  just  beginning.  But  so  lavish  as  nature  has  been  in  producing 
a  physical  environment  which  furnishes  man  with  very  needed 
element  for  the  building  and  maintaining  of  a  highly  organized 
social  structure,  there  are  warnings  which  must  be  sounded 


20  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

and  precautions  which  must  be  taken  to  conserve  our  heritage. 
There  are  certain  desirable  conditions  which  the  people  are  not 
able  to  maintain.  We  are  using  our  coal  supply  at  the  rate  of 
one  percent  in  eighty-five  years.  At  that  rate  in  8500  years  our 
coal  supply  will  be  exhausted.  Already  the  timbered  surfaces 
of  the  earth  have  shrunk  into  a  minimum  area.  The  soils  of 
the  earth  are  in  need  of  constant  upbuilding.  The  wild  animal 
life  is  rapidly  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  even  domes- 
ticated animals  are,  many  of  them,  no  longer  a  necessity.  It  is 
not  therefore  out  of  place  at  the  close  of  a  chapter  which  has 
enumerated  the  wonderful  activities  which  have  produced  a 
perfect  physical  stage  upon  which  man  shall  act  his  part  in 
a  short  drama,  to  warn  him  to  keep  constantly  before  him  the 
necessity  for  his  cooperation  with  the  forces  of  nature  for  the 
preservation  of  his  great  heritage. 

Our  Soils 

Illinois  has  four  general  kinds  of  soil,  or  rather  there  are  four 
recognized  sources  of  the  soils  of  the  state.  First,  there  are  the 
soils  which  were  made  from  the  surface  rocks  which  by  their 
position  were  exposed  to  the  mechanical  and  chemical  influences. 
Second,  the  soils  which  have  their  source  in  the  material  brought 
into  the  state  by  the  ice-sheet.  Third,  the  soil  which  had  its 
origin  in  the  loess  whose  origin  is  not  yet  well  established.  And 
fourth,  the  soil  found  in  the  river  and  creek  bottoms,  and  known 
as  alluvium.  There  are  other  distinctions  that  might  be  made, 
but  these  are  the  greater  divisions. 

The  earth  in  any  particular  place  has  had  its  last  inundation 
from  the  sea  and  hence  the  last  layer  of  sedimentary  rock.  This 
region,  we  will  suppose,  has  been  pushed  up  so  that  its  surface 
becomes  "dry  land."  If,  as  we  may  suppose,  all  of  Illinois  was 
pushed  above  sea  level  for  the  last  time,  its  surface  would  con- 
sist of  one  immense  layer  of  sedimentary  rock  or  perchance  sev- 
eral different  kinds  of  rock  formation  might  be  exposed  here  and 
there.  If  in  the  upward  movement  the  crust  of  the  earth  could 
have  become  irregular,  then  when  the  climatic  conditions  became 
favorable  there  would  be  rain  and  sunshine,  freezing  and  thaw- 
ing, and  other  conditions  which  would  tend  to  break  down  the 
physical  and  chemical  composition  of  the  rock  in  the  upper  rock 
layer. 

The  broken  material  of  this  upper  rock  layer  is  the  basis  of 
the  first  kind  of  soil  mentioned  above.  It  is  known  as  Residuary 
soil.  The  soil  formed  from  the  upper  layers  of  rock  will,  if  the 
surface  is  generally  level,  remain  where  the  change  from  rock 
to  soil  occurred.  If  the  surface  is  sloping,  there  will  be  a  move- 
ment of  the  soil  along  with  running  water  to  lower  levels.  Where 
the  surface  is  comparatively  level  the  soil  remains  and  as  the 
layer  of  soil  becomes  deeper  as  time  passes,  the  rock  surfaces 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  21 

being  somewhat  protected,  will  "weather"  more  slowly  and  the 
soil  layer  grows  thick  less  rapidly.  Now  this  is  the  soil  form- 
ing process  which  has  taken  place  on  all  parts  of  Illinois;  but 
its  processes  are  hidden  wherever  the  ice  sheet  has  covered  the 
state.  There  are  three  unglaciated  regions  as  has  been  pointed 
out  above;  one,  the  largest  area,  including  in  whole  or  in  part 
twelve  of  the  counties  at  the  extreme  south  end  of  the  state.  A 
second  unglaciated  area  is  found  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
state.  And  a  third  comprises  the  county  of  Calhoun  and  the 
south  half  of  Pike. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  character  of  the  soil  formed 
by  the  process  of  decay  of  the  original  rocks  will  be  determined 
largely  by  the  nature  of  the  rock  deposits  exposed  in  different 
localities.  If  the  rocks  are  limestone  the  soils  will  be  different 
from  what  they  would  if  the  exposed  layer  were  sandstone. 
Then  there  are  other  soil  elements  that  become  a  part  of  the  cov- 
ering besides  that  which  comes  from  the  rocks.  At  least  in  parts 
of  Illinois  this  residual  soil  has  been  covered  over  with  loess 
and  in  other  places  vegetation  has  added  its  share  to  the  produc- 
tivity of  the  present  soil.  (It  has  been  estimated  that  the  residu- 
ary soil  is  on  an  average  five  feet  deep  over  the  unglaciated 
areas.) 

In  these  driftless  areas  the  "soils  show  variations  which  cor- 
respond in  a  rough  way  with  variations  in  the  structure  of  the 
rocks  from  which  they  are  derived.  In  regions  underlaid  by 
shale  or  limestones  a  more  compact  and  adhesive  soil  is  formed 
than  in  sandstone  regions,  while  each  class  of  limestones  has 
its  own  peculiar  soil.  With  proper  rotation  of  crops  these  soils 
constitute  a  fertile  portion  of  the  state,  otherwise  they  become 
exhausted  sooner  than  soils  formed  from  glacial  drift." 

The  second  kind  of  soil  is  that  formed  from  the  materials 
transported  by  the  ice  sheet.  The  character  of  the  soil  will  vary 
as  the  material  transported  varied.  Three  general  classes  have 
been  recognized.  First,  a  stony  or  glacial  clay  soil.  This  is 
made  from  the  weathered  surface  of  the  drift  sheet  unaffected 
by  water  in  its  formation  and  not  subsequently  covered  over 
with  loess  or  silt.  This  soil  is  found  in  the  "corn  belt"  north  of 
the  Shelbyville  moraine.  The  gravelly  soils  are  found  near  the 
streams  and  lakes  and  in  regions  where  lakes  once  existed.  It 
is  not  of  special  value  except  as  a  subsoil  for  loamy  deposits.  A 
third  kind  of  soil  is  found  in  the  old  beaches  and  along  certain 
rivers.  Mason  County  presents  a  very  excellent  illustration  of 
this  class  of  drift  soils. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  there  may  have  been  a  consider- 
able layer  of  residuary  soil  over  the  level  central  and  northern 
part  of  Illinois  before  the  invasion  of  the  ice  sheet.  If  there 
were  layers  of  residuary  soil  covering  the  rocky  earth  crust,  it 
was  all  pushed  along  and  transported  far  away  from  the  place 


22  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

where  it  was  formed.  It  is  stated  by  the  geologist  that  much  of 
the  material  which  glaciers  transport  by  different  processes 
has  been  carried  a  thousand  miles  from  the  place  where  the 
material  had  its  origin.  There  is  therefore  no  geological  con- 
nection between  the  drift  soil  found  in  a  certain  place  and  the 
rocks  immediately  below. 

We  hear  much  about  the  black  "Corn  Belt"  in  Illinois.  Cli- 
matically considered,  Illinois  comprises  three  great  belts — the 
wheat  belt  in  the  northern  end  of  the  state,  the  corn  belt  occupy- 
ing the  middle  division  of  the  state  and  the  cotton  belt  which 
applies  to  the  south  third  of  the  state.  The  explanation  of  the 
"black"  in  the  soil  of  central  Illinois  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  this  region  had  from  the  earliest  times  great  crops  of  wild 
grasses,  and  while  fires  often  swept  over  these  areas  and  de- 
stroyed the  stems  and  leaves,  the  roots  remained  to  produce 
another  crop.  These  roots  formed  thick  beds  of  matted  vege- 
table matter  reaching  down  to  the  depth  of  probably  two  feet. 
In  addition,  in  many  places  the  surface  was  covered  with  water 
and  rich  deposits  of  vegetable  matter  was  added.  This  organic 
matter  adds  a  very  rich  element  in  the  growing  of  crops  and 
gives  the  darkened  appearance  to  the  soil. 

Bulletin  54,  December,  1908,  United  States  Bureau  of  Soils, 
says:  Marshall  black  clay  loam  (Illinois)  "is  a  heavy,  some- 
what sticky,  granular  clay  loam,  containing  a  large  percentage 
of  silt  and  organic  matter.  It  has  a  depth  of  about  18  inches. 
This  soil  type  has  formed  where  the  natural  drainage  was  poor. 
The  surface  is  level.  In  its  original  condition  it  is  wet  and 
swamp  and  required  thorough  drainage."  It  is  stated  that  the 
soil  in  the  central  part  of  Illinois  is  made  up  of  so  many  sources 
that  it  would  be  strange  if  it  were  not  very  productive.  The 
drift  soil  itself  has  many  elements  of  productivity,  and  added  to 
this  the  spread  of  a  rich  layer  of  loess  over  the  black  prairies, 
and  again  the  great  amount  of  humus  in  the  soil  all  tend  to 
make  it  a  very  rich  soil. 

A  third  kind  of  soil,  or  rather  source  of  the  soil  in  Illinois, 
is  loess  soil.  The  loess  soils  are  very  widely  distributed  and 
are  of  three  classes  according  to  the  degree  of  their  previousness 
to  water.  They  are  those  soils  that  are  readily  pervious ;  those 
that  are  slowly  pervious,  and  those  that  are  nearly  impervious. 
The  first  is  the  kind  of  soil  found  where  loess  deposits  are  found 
in  the  south  end  of  the  state.  These  readily  pervious  soils 
appear  around  the  fringe  of  the  state  near  the  Mississippi,  the 
Ohio,  and  the  Wabash.  Out  in  the  middle  counties  of  Southern 
Illinois,  in  Clay,  Marion,  and  adjacent  counties  the  loess  soil 
become  of  the  nature  of  white  clay.  Its  chief  ingredients  is 
silica,  and  the  soil  is  adapted  to  the  raising  of  grains  and  fruits. 
This  whitish  soil  is  the  first  thing  which  attracts  the  attention 
of  people  who  are  accustomed  to  the  black  soil  of  DeWitt  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  23 

Champaign  and  other  corn-producing  counties  in  the  Central 
and  Northern  parts  of  the  state.  These  visitors  from  the  north- 
ern counties  say:  "Why  your  soil  is  so  poor,  it  is  as  white  as 
chalk."  It  is  not  necessarily  the  poor  quality  of  the  soil,  but  the 
peculiar  mechanical  structure  which  allows  the  water  of  the 
rainy  springs  to  escape,  together  with  the  extended  drouths — 
from  June  to  September  that  prevents  this  region  covered  with 
loess  soil  from  presenting  an  attractive  appearance  in  mid- 
summer. The  slowly  pervious  loess  soils  are  found  in  this 
regions  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  Illinois  River.  And  the  third 
kind,  that  which  has  a  nearly  pervious  make-up,  may  be  found  in 
the  interior  of  South  Central  Illinois.  This  white  soil  is  a  fine 
soil  for  fruits.  Clay,  and  Marion,  and  Wayne  are  good  examples 
of  this  impervious  loess.  These  counties  are  giving  more  and 
more  attention  to  the  raising  of  fruits,  especially  apples. 

The  deposit  of  large  quantities  of  loess  soil  upon  the  hilly 
parts  of  the  southern  end  of  the  state  is  largely  responsible  for 
the  wonderful  adaption  of  these  hills  to  the  growing  of  all  forms 
of  fruits  and  vegetables.  Bald  Knob,  near  Alto  Pass,  one  of  the 
highest  parts  of  the  Ozarks,  is  800  feet  high  and  is  devoid  of 
timber  for  two  hundred  feet  from  its  top  and  the  soil  is  very 
productive.  It  is  of  a  deep  rich  brown  color.  Apples,  peaches, 
sweet  potatoes,  tomatoes,  and  grains  abound.  The  owner  says 
there  is  a  continual  deposit  on  its  top  and  sides  of  a  fine  pow- 
dered dust  which  the  winds  seem  to  bring  from  the  surrounding 
country. 

Alluvial  soils,  the  fourth  class  mentioned,  are  found  in  all 
river  valleys  and  even  in  creek  bottoms.  Running  water  brings 
vast  quantities  of  detritus  from  higher  levels,  and  when  these 
streams  overflow  their  banks  the  speed  is  checked  and  the 
material  carried  in  suspension  is  deposited  upon  the  overflowed 
surfaces.  The  alluvial  soils  are  the  most  productive  of  all  the 
soils,  but  their  location  in  river  bottoms  has  heretofore  pre- 
vented their  being  used  for  their  full  value.  The  recent  drain- 
age laws  allow  the  organization  of  drainage  districts  for  the 
reclamation  of  this  land.  Prices  of  such  lands  have  gone  from 
$5  and  $10  an  acre  to  $300  an  acre  within  less  than  a  dozen  years. 


CHAPTER  II 

PHYSICAL  BASIS  OF  THE  STATE'S  GREATNESS 

Two  Essential  Elements — Analysis  of  the  Physical  En- 
vironment —  Industrial     Institutions  —  Contour  — 
Climate — Resources,  Mineral,  Vegetable,  Animal. 

Without  doubt  the  greatness  of  any  state  is  the  result  of  two 
interacting,  mutually  and  vitally  related  factors.  There  must  be 
a  material  or  physical  basis.  There  must  be  a  given  area  of  the 
earth's  surface  upon  which  to  construct  the  state.  In  all  state 
constitutions  this  area  has  very  definite  fixed  boundaries.  The 
boundaries  may  be  natural  or  artificial,  but  the  state  must 
occupy  a  very  definite  area  with  very  definite  boundaries.  All 
political  science  writers  are  careful  to  make  it  plain  that  the 
political  state  must  have  a  physical  basis.  There  must  be  soil, 
timber,  metals,  minerals,  building  stone,  climatic  conditions, 
waterways,  and  other  elements  which  enter  into  the  physical 
basis. 

Two  Essential  Elements 

But  all  these  physical  elements  which  nature  in  the  goodness 
of  her  heart  has  provided  would  avail  naught  without  another 
essential  factor,  namely,  people.  Man  must  bring  an  intelligent 
direction  to  the  forces  of  both  nature  and  man  in  order  that 
their  relationship  may  be  fruitful  in  those  things  which  shall 
minister  to  the  well  being  of  the  individuals  and  the  institu- 
tions which  are  to  grow  upon  this  physical  basis. 

The  poet  has  said  that  the  state  is  constituted  of 
"Men— high-minded  Men" — 

But  high-minded  men  can  not  alone  constitute  a  state.  Men 
have  never  constituted  a  state  in  the  great  Sahara  desert,  nor 
within  the  Arctic  circle.  Nor  will  they  ever  build  a  great  state 
in  either  place.  The  reason  is  not  far  to  find.  There  is  no  physi- 
cal basis  for  a  state  at  least  a  great  state  in  either  place. 

It  would  be  as  futile  for  a  low-minded  people  to  attempt  to 
constitute  a  state  on  the  most  favorable  physical  basis.  There 
are  many  striking  illustrations  of  the  failure  which  an  incompe- 
tent race  makes  in  attempting  to  build  a  great  state  even  upon  a 
physical  basis  of  unsurpassed  resources.  It  takes  two  coordinate 
elements  to  produce  what  the  world  would  call  a  great  state — 
territory  and  population,  rich  and  abundant  physical  resources, 
and  a  people  rich  in  intellectual,  moral,  and  physical  resources. 

It  must  be  kept  constantly  in  mind  in  analyzing  the  greatness 
of  the  state  that  the  relation  between  the  two  factors,  the  natural 

24 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  25 

environment  and  the  population  is  a  vital  one,  that  these  two  fac- 
tors are  vitally  related,  "useless  each  without  the  other."  Again 
we  must  remember  that  each  factor  is  constantly  modifying  the 
other  factor.  Man  undergoes  changes  in  his  mental  and  physical 
nature  if  he  goes  from  place  to  place.  In  warmer  climates  he 
naturally  becomes  sluggish.  On  the  rockbound  seashore  or 
among  the  rugged  mountains  he  becomes  vigorous,  brave,  and 
resourceful.  But  man  bridges  the  streams,  cuts  canals,  and 
tunnels  the  mountains.  Under  his  genius  the  world  has  become 
smaller  and  its  mysteries  have  become  open  secrets.  But  in 
most  of  these  modifications  the  changes  are  progressive,  the 
world  becomes  better,  and  the  state  profits. 

Analysis  of  the  Physical  Environment. 

Political  Science  Writers  have  agreed  that  the  natural  environ- 
ment may  profitably  be  considered  under  four  heads — The  Con- 
tour of  the  Earth's  Surface,  The  Climate,  The  Resources,  and 
the  General  Aspects  of  Nature.  These  four  phases  of  the  nat- 
ural environment  really  condition  the  institutional  life  of  the 
race.  And  while  these  aspects  of  the  physical  environment  will 
always  determine  in  a  very  definite  way  what  shall  be  the  direc- 
tion of  man's  activity,  each  has  been  and  will,  in  a  large  way, 
be  modified  by  man. 

By  the  Contour  of  the  Earth's  Surface  is  meant  land  and  water, 
areas,  location  and  magnitude  of  the  mountains,  location  and 
description  of  geographical  units,  mass,  elevation  and  slope  of 
land  surfaces,  and  natural  boundaries  of  geographical  units — 
particularly  important  as  political  boundaries  of  states. 

The  state  is  usually  erected  in  a  geographical  unit  with  well 
defined  physical  boundaries.  Thus  the  people  within  the  state 
have  in  the  main  the  same  influences  acting  upon  them  and  there 
is  a  tendency  toward  unity  of  aims  and  unity  of  means  for  their 
attainment.  Spain,  Italy,  Norway,  Denmark,  Greece,  California 
and  Illinois  are  examples  of  states  whose  territorial  areas  have 
quite  well  defined  physical  boundaries. 

The  greatness  of  a  state  may  depend  in  a  marked  degree, 
other  factors  being  favorable,  upon  the  extent  of  its  area.  Portu- 
gal could  hardly  be  placed  in  the  list  of  great  states.  Likewise, 
Serbia,  Denmark,  Ireland,  New  Jersey,  Delaware  and  Maryland. 
However,  small  states  have  been  the  saving  clause  in  European 
History,  whereas  the  broad  expanse  of  Russia  has  been  its  un- 
doing. 

While  the  greatness  of  a  state  may  depend  in  no  small  degree 
upon  the  extent  of  its  area  and  upon  its  natural  boundaries, 
there  must  not  be  such  barriers  as  to  produce  isolation.  Pro- 
gress in  civilization  depends  upon  intercourse  with  other  states. 
While  therefore  natural  boundaries  are  of  advantage,  they  must 
not  be  prohibitive  of  an  interchange  of  products   and  ideas. 


26  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Rivers,  lakes,  parallels  and  meridians  should  be  slight  obstacles 
to  the  intercourse  which  one  state  desires  to  have  with  another. 

Much  of  the  greatness  of  a  state  will  depend  upon  the  direc- 
tion of  the  outlets  of  that  state.  Greece's  outlets  led  her  to  the 
east  and  south — toward  Phoenicia,  Palestine,  Syria,  and  Egypt. 
These  seem  to  have  been  the  sources  of  her  culture,  as  they  were 
of  the  physical  sustenance.  Rome  faced  west  and  her  first  con- 
tact with  the  outer  world  was  with  barbarians  mainly.  Later 
she  turned  east  and  encountered  culture  that  was  centuries  old. 
How  fortunate  that  America  faces  east  geographically.  Europe 
faces  west  and  the  transfer  of  all  that  was  best  in  England, 
France,  Portugal  and  Spain  to  the  new  world  was  an  easy  task. 

Climatic  conditions  help  or  hinder  much.  These  conditions 
refer  to  heat,  light  and  moisture,  chiefly.  It  is  pointed  out  that 
the  early  political  state  originated  in  warm  climates.  Here  the 
problem  of  sustaining  human  life  was  a  simple  one,  and  no 
great  amount  of  initiative  was  necessary.  But  it  is  further 
shown  that  while  states  originating  in  warm  climates  flourish 
through  the  early  stages  of  development,  they  seldom  reach  a 
very  advanced  stage  of  civilization. 

The  cold  latitudes  are  not  conducive  to  the  development  of 
physical  and  intellectual  vigor.  Too  much  time  is  consumed  in 
warding  off  the  benumbing  influences  of  low  temperatures.  So 
far,  therefore,  as  climate  depends  merely  upon  distance  from  the 
equator,  the  low  and  high  latitudes  are  prejudicial  to  the  promo- 
tion of  the  higher  and  better  forms  of  civilized  life. 

The  practical  tests  of  state  building  in  rainless  regions  are 
not  very  encouraging.  Great  rainless  regions  such  as  the  Sahara 
desert  and  the  plains  region  in  the  western  United  States  have 
little  physical  basis  for  the  support  of  an  economic  and  political 
life.  "All  great  states  have  arisen  in  areas  where  a  temperate 
climate  is  combined  with  a  moderate  amount  of  moisture."  From 
a  social  point  of  view  the  study  of  crime  in  warm  and  cold 
climates  is  very  interesting.  In  warm  climates  the  age  of  ma- 
turity is  reached  earlier  than  in  cold  countries,  the  birth  rate 
is  higher,  population  is  denser,  and  physical  contact  of  people 
more  intimate  than  in  cold  countries.  In  warm  climates  crimes 
take  on  the  nature  of  offenses  against  the  person,  such  as  "mur- 
der, assault,  and  rape."  While  in  colder  latitudes  the  region  is 
more  sparsely  settled  and  there  is  less  frequent  personal  contact 
than  is  the  case  in  warm  climates.  Here  the  offenses  against 
organized  society  are  against  property  rather  than  against  per- 
sons. They  are  more  often  thefts,  gambling,  and  disregard  of 
property  rights. 

The  resources  of  a  state  may  easily  be  classified  as  mineral, 
vegetable  and  animal.  The  chief  mineral  resources  includes  iron, 
lead,  zinc,  gold,  silver,  copper,  oil,  coal,  building  stone,  clay,  and 
the  soil.    These  are  generally  considered  the  natural  wealth  of 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  27 

a  state,  but  the  economist  does  not  regard  them  as  wealth  until 
they  have  passed  through  the  hands  of  man  and  become  really 
useful.  However,  we  can  see  what  a  wonderful  advantage  a 
state  has  that  has  an  abundant  supply  of  these  minerals.  The 
ownership  or  control  of  sections  where  nature  has  made  rich 
deposits  of  iron,  coal,  oil,  and  other  minerals  has  caused  wars 
and  rumors  of  wars,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  as  long  as  human 
nature  remains  as  now  constituted. 

The  vegetable  resources  of  a  region  are  an  essential  factor  in 
the  building  of  a  state.  The  food  of  a  people  is  directly  or  indi- 
rectly dependent  upon  the  variety  and  abundance  of  the  vegetable 
growth.  Not  only  so  but  shelter  and  clothing  must  be  supplied 
quite  largely  from  the  vegetable  world.  It  has  been  shown  that 
the  spread  of  population  over  the  earth  has  had  its  origin  in 
the  necessity  that  peoples  have  found  for  food,  shelter  and  cloth- 
ing. Greece  and  Rome  and  modern  England  have  been  great 
colonizers,  and  in  each  case  the  explanation  finds  its  basis  in 
the  need  of  an  ever  crowded  population  for  food,  clothing,  and 
shelter.  Not  only  so,  but  commerce,  the  spreader  of  civilization, 
has  its  fundamental  explanation  in  the  desire  to  provide  the  great 
essentials  of  life — food,  clothing,  and  shelter. 

The  third  form  of  resource  is  the  animal  world.  A  very  cur- 
sory view  of  the  relation  of  these  three  great  divisions  of  the 
world's  resources  will  show  us  that  there  is  a  law  of  dependence 
which  holds  among  them.  The  vegetable  world  has  its  origin 
and  its  sustenance  in  the  soil  of  the  earth.  The  soil  is  only  one 
form  of  the  mineral  world.  "Soil  is  decayed  rocks."  When 
there  is  no  soil  there  can  be  no  true  vegetables  and  where  there 
are  no  vegetables  there  can  be  no  animal  life.  Where  there 
is  no  animal  life  there  is  slight  basis  for  the  building  of  a 
state.  The  state  is  dependent  on  man,  man  is  dependent  on 
animals,  animals  are  dependent  on  the  vegetable  world,  the  vege- 
table world  is  dependent  upon  the  soil,  and  soil  is  dependent 
upon  the  other  forms  of  the  mineral  world. 

The  state  in  its  early  stages  found  a  large  part  of  its  support 
in  the  wild  animal  life  of  the  plains  and  rivers  and  forests. 
These  various  animals  furnished  the  population  with  a  large 
supply  of  food  and  clothing.  As  time  went  on  the  animals  be- 
came domesticated  and  their  usefulness  was  greatly  extended.  A 
great  state  must  be  well  supplied  with  domesticated  animals 
such  as  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  fowls.  And  most  states 
give  attention  to  the  preservation  and  propagation  of  the  wild 
animals  which  naturally  belong  to  its  territory. 

There  remains  to  be  considered  briefly  the  General  Aspects 
of  Nature  as  influencing  the  development  of  the  state.  In  a 
general  way  we  know  that  the  aspect  of  nature  greatly  affects  the 
mental  life  of  people.  It  is  said  that  the  beautiful  character  of 
Greek  life  as  portrayed  in  the  oration  of  Pericles  over  the  dead, 


28  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

was  the  ideal  counter  part  of  the  beautifully  subdued  mountains, 
the  gently  flowing  hillsides,  the  quiet  streams,  the  balmy  air, 
and  the  glorious  aspects  of  the  rising  and  the  setting  sun.  The 
mental  life  of  the  mountaineer  is  in  marked  contrast  to  that  of 
the  agriculturist  on  our  western  prairies.  Buckle  in  his  History 
of  Civilization  in  England  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  people 
who  live  in  the  presence  of  the  constant  manifestations  of  the 
violent  forces  of  nature  are  unable  to  organize  and  maintain  a 
very  high  type  of  civilization.  Certain  regions  of  the  earth  are 
subject  to  volcanic  eruptions,  earthquakes,  tornadoes,  great 
mountains,  mighty  rivers  subject  to  periods  of  destructive  floods, 
etc.  There  cannot  be  in  the  presence  of  such  forces  of  nature  a 
very  earnest  and  persistent  effort  to  plan  permanent  agencies 
of  a  great  state. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  individual  and  the  state  are 
dominated  by  the  physical  environment  which  has  been  described 
in  the  foregoing  paragraphs.  Man's  distinguishing  character- 
istic is  his  ability  to  subordinate  the  physical  world  about  him. 
He  makes  the  wind  bring  his  ship  into  the  port  from  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth,  and  under  his  direction  it  pumps  the 
water  from  the  depths  of  the  earth.  The  rivers  and  lakes  carry  his 
produce  of  the  soil  to  the  markets  of  the  earth.  Instead  of  rivers 
and  mountains  becoming  impossible  barriers,  he  tunnels  the  one 
and  bridges  the  other.  He  has  redeemed  large  areas  of  swamps, 
deserts,  and  mountain  sides.  Forests  have  been  encouraged  to 
grow  in  barren  places,  and  animal  life  has  been  transported  and 
acclimated  to  territory  hundreds  of  miles  away  from  its  original 
habitat.  Not  only  has  air  yielded  to  man's  control,  but  the  very 
ether  has  surrendered  to  the  simple  yet  mysterious  wireless. 
Among  the  marvelous  things  which  man  has  done  is  the  trans- 
mission of  power  and  heat  and  light  over  many  hundred  miles 
of  space  through  a  simple  copper  wire.  Not  only  so,  but  the 
human  voice  in  song  and  in  oratory  may  be  broadcasted  to  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth.    And  truly  may  we  say  with  Samuel 

Morse—  "What  hath  God  wrought" ! 

Industrial  Institutions — The  Determining  Factors 

The  writers  of  the  Industrial  History  of  the  world  have  recog- 
nized seven  great  industrial  activities,  namely:  Herding,  Fish- 
ing, Mining,  Lumbering,  Agriculture,  Manufacture  and  Com- 
merce. 

Whether  a  people  shall  follow  one  or  the  other  of  these  indus- 
trial activities  is  determined  primarily  by  two  great  factors: 
Geology  and  Geography.  Often  both  of  these  factors  contribute 
to  the  endowment  of  a  state  so  that  it  may  be  found  that  the 
state  may  be  able  to  engage  in  two  or  more  of  the  industrial 
lines  named  above  with  great  profit. 


(Courtesy  Miss  Emma  Rebman) 

A   SPLENDID    SPECIMEN,    JOHNSON    COUNTY 


30  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1 — Herding  or  grazing  is  a  primitive  industry.  Abraham  and 
Lot  were  herdsmen.  They  lived  upon  the  products  of  their  flocks 
and  herds.  In  modern  times  this  industry  is  carried  on  in  parts 
of  the  earth  where  the  land  cannot  be  cultivated,  and  where 
the  social  life  is  of  the  simpler  kind. 

2 — Fishing  too  is  a  very  old  occupation.  The  question  of  fol- 
lowing this  occupation  is  one  to  be  settled  by  the  presence  of 
good  "fishing  grounds."  It  is  found  profitable  along  certain 
shores  of  the  ocean  and  seas  and  to  a  less  profitable  degree  along 
inland  waters.  While  the  calling  is  as  old  (if  not  older)  as  the 
days  of  Peter,  James  and  John,  it  has  been  modernized  and 
is  a  great  industry  in  many  parts  of  the  world. 

3 — Lumbering  too  is  as  old  as  the  days  of  Noah  and  King  Solo- 
mon and  Hiram  Abif.  The  geography  of  a  state  determines 
whether  its  people  shall  lend  their  energies  to  the  furthering 
of  this  occupation  or  to  other  forms.  It  is  as  natural  for  the 
people  of  Maine,  Arkansas,  Oregon  and  British  Columbia  to  be 
engaged  in  the  lumbering  business  as  it  is  for  Massachusetts 
people  along  the  coast  to  be  in  the  Cod  fishing  business,  or  for 
the  people  of  Colorado  to  be  engaged  in  the  mining  of  metals,  or 
the  people  of  Kansas  and  North  Dakota  to  raise  wheat. 

4 — The  three  foregoing  industries  are  not  only  primitive,  but 
they  cannot  be  ranked  with  the  four  remaining  ones  in  import- 
ance. Agriculture,  mining,  manufacturing  and  commerce  are 
universal  activities.  Blest  is  the  state  which  is  provided  by 
nature  with  a  rich  soil  spread  over  millions  of  acres.  Agricul- 
ture was  also  a  primitive  industry,  but  from  the  crude  experi- 
mental stage  of  only  a  century  or  so  ago  it  has  passed  through 
various  stages  of  improvement  until  today  it  has  taken  rank  as  a 
science.  The  raising  of  the  food  grains  is  no  longer  left  to 
chance.  The  state  has  spent  millions  of  dollars  in  teaching 
scientific  agriculture.  It  is  no  longer  a  haphazard  enterprise,  but 
a  really  scientific  process.  Soils  have  been  analyzed,  and  their 
productive  power  increased  by  the  addition  of  those  elements 
in  which  they  are  found  deficient.  This  scientific  knowledge  is 
not  only  for  men  with  scientific  training,  but  it  has  been  so 
simplified  that  laymen  in  agriculture  may  become  expert  pro- 
ducers upon  the  farm.  Blest  then  we  say  is  the  agricultural 
state,  for  the  farms  feed  the  world. 

But  it  is  possible  that  the  state  may  be  a  great  agricultural 
area  unsurpassed  in  fertility,  and  at  the  same  time  deep  in  the 
recesses  of  her  rock  layers  may  be  inexhaustible  resources  of  coal 
and  iron  and  lead,  and  zinc,  and  oil,  and  floorspar,  and  clay  and 
gas ;  and  rock  layers  from  which  lime,  cement,  glass,  and  build- 
ing stone  may  be  derived.  Blest  is  the  state  that  can  boast  of 
these  resources.  But  what  shall  be  said  of  a  state  that  possesses 
agricultural  possibilities  in  the  highest  degree,  and  at  the  same 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  31 

time  can  boast  of  rich  and  varied  mineral  resources?  It  certainly 
is  twice  blest. 

It  seldom  is  good  economy  for  a  state  to  sell  its  resources  as 
raw  material.  It  is  said  it  is  an  economic  principle  of  Denmark 
that  no  article  produced  within  her  borders  must  ever  be  ex- 
ported therefrom  until  the  article  has  received  all  the  labor 
which  is  necessary  to  make  it  a  completed  article  ready  for  the 
consumer.  This  policy  the  American  colonies  desired  to  adhere 
to  in  the  pre-revolutionary  days.  But  England  supported  the 
policy  that  it  should  be  the  duty  of  the  colonies  to  produce  the 
raw  material  while  it  should  be  her  privilege  to  make  the 
finished  article.  The  cotton  growing  states  of  the  American 
Union  were  exporters  of  "raw  material"  before  the  Civil  war. 
There  were  few  factories  south  of  the  Mason  &  Dixon  line  and 
the  Ohio  River  in  those  days.  Now  the  smoke  pours  out  of 
thousands  of  chimneys  in  the  new  south  and  her  prosperity  goes 
forward  with  leaps  and  bounds. 

Raw  materials  must  therefore  be  made  ready  for  consumption 
inside  the  state  where  they  are  produced.  Wheat  must  be  made 
into  flour;  hogs  must  be  dressed  and  made  as  nearly  ready  for 
the  table  as  possible ;  fruits  and  vegetables  must  be  canned  and 
otherwise  prepared  for  storage ;  beeves  must  be  made  ready  for 
the  butcher's  block,  and  their  hides  made  into  boots  and  shoes 
for  the  retailer's  shelves;  the  milk  from  the  great  dairies  must 
be  transformed  into  butter  and  cheese  and  condensed  ready  for 
shipment  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  To  do  all  this  requires  millions 
of  horse  power.  To  run  these  great  factories  we  must  have 
fuel  or  the  power  which  comes  from  falling  water.  Water  power 
will  seldom  be  found  generally  distributed  over  a  great  agri- 
cultural state.  Fortunate  therefore  that  state  which  has  abund- 
ance of  "raw  material"  and  at  the  same  time  has  inexhaustible 
stores  of  fuel  beneath  her  mantle  rock. 

But  thrice  blest  is  that  state  that  ranks  at  the  front  as  an  agri- 
cultural state,  and  as  a  mining  state,  and  as  a  manufacturing 
state. 

But  what  shall  it  avail  a  state  to  produce  enough  raw  material 
to  feed  the  world  and  enough  coal  to  furnish  the  power  to  pre- 
pare this  food  for  the  tables  of  the  world  if  there  is  no  means 
of  transporting  it  beyond  its  borders.  It  is  said  that  many  of 
the  famines  in  India  could  be  averted  if  only  the  surplus  food 
products  which  are  often  plentiful  in  one  province  could  be 
transported  to  the  starving  people  in  another  province  not  so 
very  far  away. 

Transportation  as  an  industry  of  any  state  can  never  reach 
very  large  proportions  unless  the  state  itself  can  furnish  a  very 
large  share  of  the  products  to  be  transported.  Transportation 
which  originates  in  any  state  as  Ohio  and  passes  across  a  state 


32  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

as  Indiana  and  terminates  in  another  state  as  Illinois  will  never 
profit  the  middle  state  to  any  marked  degree.  Through  trains 
which  pass  through  the  limits  of  the  villages  along  the  road 
profit  the  villages  little  or  nothing. 

A  state  that  profits  from  commerce  must  originate  that  com- 
merce. Commerce  that  originates  and  terminates  within  the 
state  is  doubly  profitable.  The  means  of  transportation  of  which 
a  state  may  avail  itself  have  in  late  years  been  confined  to  rivers, 
lakes,  and  railroads.  But  another  means  is  claiming  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public;  it  is  the  truck  system  which  is  greatly  en- 
couraged by  the  hard  roads  of  modern  construction. 

What  bounds  may  we  set  to  the  greatness  of  a  state  whose 
agricultural  possibilities  are  unsurpassed,  and  whose  mining  in- 
terests are  second  to  few  of  the  states  of  equal  area,  and  whose 
manufacturing  processes  are  varied  and  extensive,  and  finally  one 
whose  railroad  mileage  is  second  only  to  one  other  great  state. 

Contour 

Illinois  when  put  to  the  tests  will  be  found  to  have  a  claim 
to  high  rank  in  all  the  aspects  of  a  physical  basis.  In  area  Illinois 
contains  56,650  square  miles.  This  is  some  smaller  than  an  aver- 
age of  the  forty-eight  states  in  the  union,  which  is  60,434.  At 
the  same  time  it  is  larger  than  any  one  of  a  dozen  of  the  smaller 
independent  European  countries.  Area  is  essential  to  the  main- 
tenance of  large  populations ;  particularly  is  this  true  if  the  state 
is  in  an  agricultural  region.  Large  areas  also  contribute  to 
variety  in  all  kinds  of  products  which  will  add  greatly  to  other 
forms  of  industrial  activities.  There  is  a  relation  between  the 
area  of  a  state  and  the  variety  of  its  climate.  This  is  readily 
seen  if  we  find  the  area  reaching  through  several  degrees  of 
latitude.  Illinois  is  longer  north  and  south  than  east  and  west, 
and  reaches  from  latitude  37  to  42°  and  30' — a  distance  of  385 
miles.  This  gives  an  appreciable  difference  in  the  annual  tem- 
perature between  these  two  opposite  ends  of  the  state.  If  Illi- 
nois were  laid  down  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  Cairo  would  fall 
on  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay  and  the  northern  boundary 
would  be  on  Lynn,  Massachusetts. 

Illinois  is  very  fortunate  as  to  its  water  ways.  The  Missis- 
sippi is  the  noblest  river  on  the  earth's  surface.  It  washes  the 
western  side  of  the  state  from  the  extreme  northwest  corner  to 
the  extreme  south  end  of  the  state  at  Cairo.  The  distance  of 
actual  contact  is  approximately  six  hundred  miles.  There  are 
no  serious  obstructions  to  navigation,  and  in  places  it  offers  con- 
ditions for  the  generation  of  powerful  currents  of  electrical  en- 
ergy. Along  its  course  the  geological  survey  has  indicated  that 
there  are  extensive  deposits  of  clay,  gravel,  sand,  and  silt.  This 
region  is  usually  known  as  the  bottom  lands  and  is  one  of  the 
most  fertile  regions  in  the  state.    In  many  places,  however,  these 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  33 

lands  are  subject  to  overflow  except  where  substantial  levees 
have  been  built  to  keep  the  water  within  the  channel. 

The  Ohio  forms  the  boundary  on  the  southeast  for  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  and  the  Wabash  for  more  than 
a  hundred  miles.  Both  streams  are  navigable  and  are  highly 
prized  by  that  part  of  the  state  as  commercial  routes  since  rail- 
road building  is  somewhat  difficult  through  the  east  end  of  the 
Ozarks.  The  Ohio  is  bridged  at  Cairo  and  at  Metropolis,  the 
latter  being  one  of  the  most  substantial  structures  in  the  mid- 
dle west. 

The  Illinois  River  courses  through  the  west  central  part  of  the 
state  from  northeast  near  Chicago  to  the  southwest  part  of  the 
state  near  Alton.  It  is  a  picturesque  stream  and  adds  many  a 
charm  to  the  scenery  in  the  region  through  which  it  flows.  Not 
less  interesting  are  several  of  its  tributaries — the  Sangamon,  the 
raging  Spoon,  and  the  beautiful  little  Quiver  River.  To  those 
who  have  once  enjoyed  the  beautiful  Fox  River  valley  there  is 
a  lure  which  few  other  streams  can  surpass.  Vermilion  River 
has  been  magnified  by  the  creation  at  its  mouth  of  the  beautiful 
Deer  Park,  a  most  wonderful  display  of  the  works  of  running 
water  through  geological  formations. 

The  Illinois  is  of  considerable  value  as  a  commercial  route  and 
the  time  is  near,  let  us  hope,  that  its  usefulness  may  be  increased 
by  the  completion  of  the  scheme  to  make  it  a  deep  water  way 
from  Chicago  to  the  Mississippi.  Rock  River  has  its  origin  in 
Wisconsin,  and  is  an  intruder  but  a  very  welcome  one  we  are 
sure.  It  enters  the  state  through  Winnebago  County  and  makes 
its  way  through  Ogle,  Lee,  Whiteside,  and  Rock  Island  counties 
into  the  Mississippi  River.  Lorado  Taft  has  given  widespread 
interest  to  this  region  by  his  heroic  statue  of  Black  Hawk. 

But  the  greatest  water  asset  Illinois  has  is  Lake  Michigan — 
an  inland  sea  of  magnificent  area.  No  words  can  describe  this 
great  body  of  water.  To  know  it  well  one  must  cross  its  placid 
waters  when  the  ripples  only  prevent  one  from  observing  his 
image  in  the  clear  water.  Then  within  a  short  time  try  to  ride 
its  waves  when  a  raging  storm  is  crossing  its  wide  expanse.  To 
experience  these  two  extremes  will  be  a  sufficient  introduction  to 
this  inland  sea. 

Lake  Michigan  is  only  one  of  the  largest  groups  of  inland 
lakes  in  the  world.  Few  people  have  entered  into  a  complete 
understanding  of  the  value  of  Lake  Michigan  when  there  shall 
be  an  untrammeled  waterway  from  Chicago  to  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Lawrence.  We  now  see  that  so  far  as  areas  and  waterways 
are  concerned,  Illinois  has  shown  her  right  to  stand  in  the  front 
rank  as  a  great  state. 

In  the  lie  of  the  land,  Illinois  is  very  fortunate.  The  mass  of 
elevation  of  the  whole  state  is  600  feet  above  sea  level.  There  are 
no  extensive  areas  of  swampy  land  and  there  is  but  one  approach 

4  VI 


34  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

toward  mountains — the  Ozarks.  While  there  are  extensive  areas 
that  are  comparatively  level,  the  gentle  slope  of  the  surface  from 
the  northeast  toward  the  southwest  is  sufficient  to  give  good 
drainage  systems  for  all  the  state.  A  glance  at  the  map  and 
some  attention  to  the  direction  of  the  streams  will  reveal  the 
general  slope  of  the  surface. 

There  are  no  physical  boundaries  of  subdivisions  of  the  state. 
The  physical  structure  is  such  that  its  surface  is  a  complete  unit 
with  no  physical  sub-units.  The  length  of  the  state  is  so  great 
that  very  naturally  the  expressions,  northern,  and  southern, 
and  central  Illinois  were  applied  in  the  early  days  of  the  history 
of  the  state.  These  expressions  have  become  a  part  of  the  geo- 
graphical vocabulary. 

There  is  a  natural  unity  in  the  state  as  a  whole  which  is  prob- 
ably emphasized  by  the  fact  that  there  are  only  two  places  where 
straight  lines  form  the  boundary ;  one  from  the  Wabash  River  on 
the  east  to  Lake  Michigan,  a  distance  of  225  miles,  the  meridian 
of  Vincennes  forms  the  boundary  line.  And  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  the  Mississippi  River,  the  parallel  of  42°  30'  forms  the 
northern  boundary  for  a  distance  of  150  miles.  The  remainder 
of  the  boundary  is  natural  boundaries — Lake  Michigan,  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  the  Ohio  River,  and  the  Wabash  River.  Few  of 
the  states  of  Europe  have  such  marked  physical  boundary  lines. 
If  Illinois  were  a  sovereign  national  power,  the  problem  of  na- 
tional defense  would  be  comparatively  easy. 

The  state  with  as  large  a  proportion  of  physical  boundaries  as 
Illinois  has  will  develop  a  unity  in  the  life  of  the  people  which 
would  naturally  be  more  difficult  in  a  state  whose  boundary  lines 
are  parallels  of  latitude  or  meridians  of  longitude.  The  people 
become  homogeneous ;  they  speak  the  same  language,  their  indus- 
trial activities,  while  not  the  same,  are  correlated  about  some 
interest  or  at  least  a  few  interests;  the  schools  are  quite  uni- 
formly of  the  same  grade  and  of  the  same  efficiency;  there  is  a 
state  patriotism  which  is  a  powerful  force  for  good  things  for 
the  state. 

We  thus  see  Illinois  complying  with  all  these  advantages  that 
come  from  the  distinct  boundary  of  the  state,  and  from  the  fact 
that  there  are  no  marked  physical  barriers  which  separate  one 
section  from  another.  Foreigners  who  have  come  to  Illinois  and 
who  have  settled  in  communities  and  have  purposed  to  maintain 
their  native  language,  their  social,  religious,  and  even  industrial 
customs  which  belonged  in  their  native  country,  have  found  the 
task  a  very  difficult  one.  Their  children  will  learn  the  Eng- 
lish language,  they  will  marry  into  English  speaking  families, 
and  even  desert  the  religious  services  that  are  held  in  a  foreign 
tongue  and  go  to  the  services  that  are  held  in  English.  If  Illi- 
nois were  cut  up  into  little  geographical  units  as  was  Greece 
we  should  not  find  this  tendency  to  unity  in  so  marked  a  de- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  35 

gree  as  we  find  it  in  Illinois  today.  Fortunate  is  the  state  whose 
geographical  features  contribute  to  the  maintenance  of  unity 
in  all  those  lines  which  combined  make  Illinois  a  great  state. 

While  we  would  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  geographical 
agencies  which  we  have  discussed  are  valuable  to  establish  and 
maintain  a  marked  degree  of  unity  in  the  life  of  the  people, 
there  is  a  danger  which  must  be  guarded  against.  Provincial- 
ism is  a  weakness  which  an  American  state  should  shun.  "What 
a  state  gains  in  the  way  of  protection  by  natural  frontiers  is 
partly  offset  by  the  danger  of  provincialism  and  internal  stag- 
nation." Spain  is  pointed  out  as  a  state  whose  marked  boun-  • 
dary  lines  have  unfitted  her  people  but  at  the  same  time  has 
made  them  narrow,  selfish,  and  provincial.  In  England  we  find 
distinct  physical  boundary  lines  but  her  history  has  been  the 
opposite  of  that  of  Spain.  The  salvation  of  England  has  come 
from  her  position  as  "Mistress  of  the  Sea."  She  has  all  dur- 
ing her  history  maintained  a  strong  navy  and  has  supported 
a  flourishing  merchant  marine,  and  thus  has  been  able  to  defend 
herself  against  her  enemies  and  at  the  same  time  to  keep  in 
touch  with  all  the  civilized  countries  of  the  earth. 

While  Illinois  appears  to  be  bound  in  with  the  greatest  rivers 
of  the  world  and  by  a  great  inland  sea,  at  first  glance  we  might 
fear  that  these  would  act  as  barriers,  yet  the  contrary  is  true. 
As  in  England,  instead  of  the  ocean's  being  a  barrier  it  has 
been  the  great  highway  which  has  kept  her  in  touch  with  the 
great  throbbing  world,  so  in  Illinois  her  rivers  and  her  lake 
have  served  as  a  means  of  communication  with  the  outside 
world.  Illinois  is  a  greater  state  by  many  times  by  reason 
of  the  presence  at  its  door  of  Lake  Michigan.  This  great  body 
of  water  instead  of  being  a  hindrance  to  intercourse  is  a  most 
powerful  factor  in  the  state's  progress.  The  Mississippi  and 
the  Ohio  are  likewise  useful  in  the  prevention  of  stagnation. 
Through  them  we  reach  the  sunny  regions  to  the  south,  and 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Father  of  Waters  we  find  a  seaport  which 
enables  Illinois  to  hold  commercial  intercourse  with  the  coun- 
tries of  Europe.  Again  these  great  rivers  have  been  bridged 
and  that  gives  us  easy  access  to  our  neighboring  states. 

The  direction  a  state's  intercourse  takes  with  the  outside 
world  is  a  determining  factor  in  the  state's  greatness.  If  the 
Mississippi  should  flow  north  and  empty  into  Hudson's  Bay, 
its  usefulness  would  be  greatly  decreased.  The  frozen  regions . 
near  its  mouth,  in  that  case,  would  have  but  a  single  product 
which  would  be  desirable  in  Illinois.  And  if  Lake  Michigan's 
outlet  should  be  toward  the  west,  instead  of  toward  the  east, 
it  could  not  serve  the  people  as  it  does  now.  A  westward  outlet 
of  the  Great  Lakes  would  throw  us  into  direct  contact  with  the 
civilization  of  the  Orient  and  our  own  progress  would  be  ac- 
cordingly handicapped.     We  thus  can  easily  see  that  Illinois 


36  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

is  exceedingly  fortunate  in  its  natural  outlets.  Through  both 
of  them  we  have  direct  communication  with  the  very  cradle 
of  civilization,  a  people  whose  products  we  greatly  desire,  and 
one  who  demands  our  surpluses.  As  has  been  shown,  it  is  this 
intercourse  particularly  with  active  minds  in  other  regions 
which  constitutes  our  safeguard  against  provincialism  and  stag- 
nation. 

Climate 

It  has  been  stated  that  climate  is  a  determining  factor  in  the 
greatness  of  a  state.  Heat,  moisture,  and  light  are  the  chief 
elements  in  climate.  We  know  that  latitude  greatly  affects  the 
heat  question.  In  equatorial  regions  the  heat  is  too  intense 
to  permit  those  activities  that  result  in  the  most  rapid  develop- 
ment of  the  resources  of  a  given  territory.  In  the  polar  regions 
the  cold  prevents  vigorous  growth  in  vegetables,  and  at  the  same 
time  benumbs  the  intellectual  faculties  and  the  highest  attain- 
ments for  man  are  not  reached.  It  is  therefore  in  the  middle 
latitudes  that  we  may  look  for  the  best  climatic  conditions. 
Illinois  is  located  approximately  half  way  between  the  Equator 
and  the  North  Pole. 

The  annual  temperature  for  different  parts  of  Illinois  is  as 
follows : 

Illinois  has  her  coldest  days  of  the  year  in  January  or  Febru- 
ary. This  is  thirty  to  forty  days  after  the  sun  has  started 
toward  the  Equator  on  December  21st.  The  temperature  then 
rises  gradually  till  the  latter  part  of  July  or  first  of  August, 
when  it  reaches  the  hottest  days.  The  extreme  south  end  of 
the  state  has  reached  an  extreme  of  cold  of  20°  below  zero,  while 
the  north  has  experienced  a  temperature  of  32°  below  zero.  In 
the  hot  days  of  summer  there  is  often  a  higher  temperature  at 
northern  points  than  at  southern  points. 

Illinois  has  the  usual  amount  of  rainfall  that  belongs  to  the 
interior  middle  latitudes.  The  annual  rainfall  for  the  extreme 
south  end  of  the  state  is  slightly  more  than  forty-one  inches. 
That  for  the  northern  portion  of  the  state  is  thirty-six  inches 
yearly.  The  average  for  all  observations  is  thirty-six  and  one- 
half  inches.  In  the  south  third  of  the  state  there  is  a  precipita- 
tion of  only  21.6  inches  in  the  summer  time — April  to  September, 
inclusive.  This  is  slightly  more  than  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  total 
for  the  year.  This  scant  fall  of  water  in  the  months  when  the 
farmers  are  planting  and  cultivating  their  crops  is  greatly  detri- 
mental to  the  success  of  agriculture  in  "Egypt."  The  streams 
that  carry  large  volumes  of  water  between  September  and  April 
present  dry  beds  in  August  and  the  first  part  of  September.  In 
the  north  two-thirds  of  the  state  the  annual  rainfall  is  some  less 
than  in  the  south  third,  but  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  supply  falls 
between  April  and  September,  inclusive.  The  north  part  of  the 
state  is  therefore  better  adapted  to  farming  than  the  south  third. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  37 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  in  Illinois  nature  is  not  lavish 
with  its  moisture,  the  state  reports  enormous  yields  of  corn, 
wheat,  oats,  hay,  fruits,  vegetables.  The  rearing  of  all  forms  of 
live  stock  is  an  extensive  business  in  many  parts  of  the  state. 

Illinois  lies  in  the  path  of  what  is  called  the  revolving  storms. 
These  cyclonic  storms  originate  in  the  region  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  as  they  move  toward  the  interior  of  the  United 
States  they  travel  in  a  sort  of  circular  path.  They  come  into  the 
state  from  a  general  westerly  direction.  Often  these  cyclonic 
movements  are  so  quiet  we  do  not  think  of  them  as  furnishing 
the  basis  for  a  more  dreaded  atmospheric  movement,  the  tornado. 
Tornadoes  seem  to  originate  in  the  southeast  quadrant  of  a 
cyclonic  movement  of  large  proportions.  The  circular  movement 
of  cyclones  is  contrary  to  the  hands  of  the  clock.  The  tornado 
also  has  a  rotary  motion  from  right  to  left.  These  tornadoes 
sweep  across  Illinois  usually  from  the  west  or  southwest,  rarely 
from  the  northwest.  They  are  observed  as  great  black  funnels 
reaching  from  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet  to  the  ground. 
If  the  lower  end  of  the  funnel  reaches  the  ground  the  path  of 
destruction  is  as  wide  as  the  diameter  of  the  funnel  where  it 
reaches  the  surface.  Nothing  seems  to  be  able  to  withstand  the 
force  of  the  rotating  wind.  Often,  however,  the  tornado  plays 
unexplainable  pranks.  A  severe  tornado  crossed  a  portion  of 
Christian  County  some  years  ago.  A  small  frame  house  and  a 
crude  stable  were  in  its  path.  Two  horses  were  tied  in  two  stalls 
side  by  side.  One  horse  was  lifted  out  of  the  stall  and  carried 
several  yards  away  and  dropped  down  uninjured;  the  other 
horse,  securely  tied,  was  quietly  eating  hay  when  the  storm  had 
abated.  Some  years  ago  these  tornadoes  became  so  common  that 
farmers  dug  what  they  called  a  "cyclone  cellar"  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  family.  In  some  cases  school  directors  dug  cellars 
on  the  school  grounds  large  enough  to  hold  the  school. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  people  of  Illinois  are  entirely 
helpless  in  the  presence  of  these  agents  of  destruction.  The 
United  States  has  organized  such  an  efficient  weather  bureau, 
and  people  are  generally  becoming  so  well  informed  that  much 
of  the  danger  at  least  to  human  life  may  be  averted.  The  state  is 
divided  into  three  weather  bureau  districts,  and  in  each  district 
there  is  an  observation  station.  However,  in  the  central  division 
there  is  an  observation  station  at  Springfield  and  one  at  Peoria. 
The  station  in  the  Northern  District  is  at  Chicago,  and  for  the 
Southern  District  at  Cairo. 

Within  each  of  these  divisions  there  are  several  local  observa- 
tion stations  in  charge  of  public-spirited  citizens  who  make  no 
charge  for  their  services.  These  local  observers  take  tempera- 
ture, note  direction  of  winds,  observe  the  amount  of  rainfall,  and 
give  other  information  to  the  one  in  charge  of  the  division 
observation  station.     Maps  are  made  and  distributed  from  the 


38  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

division  stations  and  telegrams  and  letters  are  sent  to  local 
observers  and  posted  about  postoffices  and  schools.  In  addition 
to  what  the  Government  is  doing  to  spread  information  about 
weather  conditions,  the  railroad  companies  are  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  information  which  they  give  to  shippers  and  to  their 
own  employers  who  have  charge  of  the  shipment  of  live  stock 
and  perishable  property. 

From  this  brief  review  of  climatic  conditions  in  Illinois — 
amount  and  distribution  of  rainfall,  the  varying  temperatures, 
winds,  and  varying  lengths  of  the  days  and  nights,  the  prevailing 
winds,  and  the  consequent  adaptation  of  all  industrial  activities, 
especially  farming,  to  these  climatic  agencies,  we  can  easily  see 
that  nature  has  been  lavish  with  her  gifts,  and  everything  con- 
spires to  the  establishment  of  the  fact  that  Illinois  ranks  as  a 
great  state. 

Resources — Mineral,  Vegetable,  and  Animal 

It  scarcely  needs  to  be  said  that  the  natural  resources  of 
Illinois  contribute  very  greatly  to  the  position  the  state  takes  as 
one  of  the  really  great  states  in  the  Union.  These  resources  are 
so  abundant  and  so  varied  that  their  enumeration  only  is  suf- 
ficient to  convince  us  that  in  them  the  state  has  its  foundation 
for  its  greatness. 

A  very  fine  quality  of  bituminous  coal  lies  under  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  surface  of  the  state.  It  may  be  found  in  seams 
some  ten  or  twelve  in  number  at  depths  ranging  from  a  few  feet 
to  several  hundred  feet.  The  seams  vary  in  thickness  from  a 
few  inches  in  some  places  to  eight  or  nine  feet  in  others.  Prob- 
ably the  first  coal  mined,  at  least  for  commercial  purposes,  was 
in  Jackson  County,  from  the  bluffs  adjacent  to  the  Big  Muddy 
River,  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  1835  the 
Legislature  chartered  the  Mount  Carbon  Coal  Company,  and  in 
1836  the  property  was  offered  for  sale  by  a  Mr.  Hall  Neilson, 
who  at  that  time  lived  in  New  York  City,  and  from  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  mine  and  the  method  of  marketing  the  coal  in  New 
Orleans  by  means  of  barges  which  were  floated  on  the  Big  Muddy 
and  the  Mississippi,  the  mines  must  have  been  in  operation  sev- 
eral years  prior  to  the  offer  of  the  mine  for  sale  in  1836.  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds  owned  a  mine  near  Belleville  in  1837,  and  in 
order  to  get  his  coal  to  the  Mississippi  River,  he  built  a  railroad 
from  Belleville  to  the  Mississippi  just  below  East  St.  Louis,  a 
distance  of  about  seven  or  eight  miles.  The  old  roadbed  built  by 
Governor  Reynolds  is  still  in  use.  The  total  production  of  coal 
in  Illinois  annually  is  nearly  one  hundred  million  tons,  with  a 
value  at  the  mine  of  a  trifle  less  than  two  dollars  a  ton. 

Petroleum  is  the  next  most  valuable  resource.  In  1917  the 
state  produced  about  eighteen  million  barrels,  with  a  value  of 
nearly  two  dollars  a  barrel.     The  oil  fields  are  found  chiefly  in 


40  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  southeastern  part  of  the  state,  in  the  counties  of  Lawrence, 
Crawford,  Clark  and  Cumberland.  From  these  counties  the 
crude  oil  is  piped  to  Martinsville,  in  Clark  County,  where  it 
joins  a  pipe  line  from  Indiana  which  proceeds  southwest  along 
the  old  National  Road  through  Greenup  and  Effingham  to 
Vandalia.  From  this  point  the  pipe  line  runs  west  nearly  to 
Staunton,  whence  it  turns  southwest,  and  before  reaching  Ed- 
wardsville  it  runs  west  to  Wood  River,  where  there  are  immense 
storage  tanks  and  an  oil  refinery.  There  is  also  a  refinery  in 
Lawrenceville,  Lawrence  County.  Oil  is  found  in  other  sections 
than  in  the  counties  named  above,  but  in  small  quantities.  The 
production  has  been  decreasing  since  1918.  In  that  year  the 
production  was  33,686,238  barrels;  in  1916  the  production  was 
17,714,235. 

The  clay  products  are  very  valuable  in  this  state.  The  clays 
are  varied  in  their  quality  and  this  gives  rise  to  a  variety  of 
clay  products.  The  most  important  clay  in  the  state  is  perhaps 
found  in  Union  County,  where  a  high-grade  Kaolin  is  found. 
Kaolin  is  formed  from  the  decomposition  of  feldspar.  It  is  one 
of  the  two  ingredients  in  Oriental  porcelain.  Kaolin  occurs  in 
China,  Japan,  Saxony,  Cornwall,  Limoges  and  in  several  places 
in  the  United  States.  The  deposits  in  Union  County  are  ex- 
tensive and  of  a  high  grade. 

Other  grades  of  clay  are  found  in  Illinois.  Fire  clay  for  the 
manufacture  of  fire  brick  is  very  plentiful  in  the  state,  but  is 
restricted  to  few  areas.  Clay  suitable  for  drain  tile  and  sewer 
pipe  is  found  in  Greene,  McDonough,  and  Warren  counties.  Clay 
for  pottery  is  found  in  the  same  counties  and  is  extensively 
manufactured  into  the  several  varieties  of  household  articles, 
crocks,  jugs,  jars  and  vases.  Common  building  brick  may  be 
made  from  what  we  call  the  "common  clay"  which  lies  beneath 
the  top  soil.  Within  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  paving  bricks 
are  made  from  the  shales  which  are  found  near  enough  the 
surface  to  make  the  procuring  of  this  material  inexpensive. 
Terra  cotta  is  extensively  manufactured  from  deposits  found  in 
the  north  part  of  the  state. 

Building  stone  in  Illinois  is  found  in  inexhaustible  quantities. 
The  limestones  are  not  probably  of  as  high  grade  for  building 
purposes  as  is  found  elsewhere,  but  great  quantities  are  used. 
Much  of  the  limestone  that  is  quarried  in  recent  years  is  crushed 
and  used  for  road-making,  concrete  work,  and  for  the  correction 
of  the  acid  condition  of  the  soil.  Cement  is  made  from  a  certain 
kind  of  shale  and  limestone.  Millions  of  barrels  of  cement  are 
made  in  Illinois  every  year.  There  are  but  two  states  that  make 
more  cement  than  Illinois — Pennsylvania  and  Indiana.  In  these 
days  of  hard  road  building,  it  is  very  fortunate  that  Illinois  is 
supplied  with  an  unlimited  quantity  of  material  from  which  to 
manufacture  cement.     Along  the  Ohio  River  from  Cairo  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  41 

eastern  part  of  Massac  County  are  rich  deposits  of  sand,  gravel 
and  clay,  and  a  comglomerate  is  also  found.  This  material  is 
found  to  be  excellent  for  road  making  and  is  so  used  in  the 
counties  along  the  Ohio. 

Zinc  and  lead  were  once  mined  in  large  quantities  in  Jo 
Daviess  County,  and  these  interests  are  yet  very  important. 
These  two  metals  together  with  silver  are  by-products  in  the 
production  of  fluor-spar  in  Hardin  County.  Fluor-spar  is  a  new 
find  in  the  West — at  least  the  mines  in  Hardin  County  have  not 
been  open  very  long.  It  is  said  that  Illinois  produces  about 
three-fourths  of  the  fluor-spar  produced  in  the  United  States. 

Vegetable  Resources 

Among  the  vegetable  resources  which  have  contributed  to  the 
growth  in  greatness  of  Illinois,  we  may  mention  those  growths 
found  native,  and  those  cultivated  plants  which  have  been  trans- 
planted from  other  regions. 

Timber  is  a  source  of  wealth  to  any  state.  The  uses  the  world 
makes  of  timber  are  determined  somewhat  by  the  geographical 
location  of  the  supply.  If  the  supply  is  on  the  New  England 
coast  the  use  is  the  construction  of  ships.  If  in  the  warm  states 
in  the  southern  parts  of  the  Mississippi  basin,  the  timber  is  made 
into  building  material  for  residences,  barns,  and  warehouses.  In 
an  early  day  in  the  central  part  of  the  Mississippi  basin  the 
timber  was  used  for  fuel.  But  wherever  the  supply  may  be 
found  today,  its  distribution  to  the  places  where  it  is  needed  is 
an  easy  problem. 

Although  Illinois  is  called  the  "Prairie  State,"  in  its  early 
history  at  least  twenty-four  per  cent,  of  its  surface  was  covered 
with  forests.  These  forests  lay  chiefly  in  the  south  end  of  the 
state.  "There  was  no  county  entirely  without  timber,  but  the 
real  forests  were  confined  to  the  southern  portion  of  the  state." 
Many  counties  in  the  forest-covered  portion  presented  an  un- 
broken area  of  timber.  South  of  a  line  running  east  and  west 
through  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River,  there  were  no  extensive 
prairies ;  there  were  prairie  spots,  but  they  would  be  entirely 
surrounded  by  timber.  These  forests  were  chiefly  deciduous 
trees,  rich  in  variety  and  of  quality  unsurpassed  by  any  other 
state.  The  growth  on  the  margins  of  the  smaller  streams,  the 
areas  between  the  forks  of  creeks,  or  wherever  protected  from 
forest  fires,  consisted  chiefly  of  the  different  kinds  of  oaks. 

The  origin  of  the  prairies  is  accounted  for  on  the  theory  that 
the  fires  kept  down  the  young  trees.  In  1880,  when  a  careful 
survey  was  made  of  the  timbered  areas,  it  was  found  that  only 
about  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  state  was  at  that  time  covered  by 
timber  growths.  This  loss  in  area  of  timbered  territory  is 
accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  for  the  past  one  hundred  years 
there  has  been  a  constant  marketing  of  the  best  timber,  and  the 
ground  thus  denuded  of  its  good  timber  was  prepared  for  the 


42  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

raising  of  crops.  The  oldest  settlers  in  the  various  parts  of  the 
state  can  remember  when  the  sawmills  were  playing  sad  havoc 
with  the  fine  oaks,  hickorys,  maples,  walnuts,  ash,  and  the  less 
important  woods.  Not  only  so,  but  the  oldtimers  can  remember 
when  instead  of  marketing  the  valuable  logs  from  a  forty-acre 
field,  it  was  customary  to  dispose  of  everything  in  the  great  log 
heaps.  The  "log  rollings"  were  the  social  occasions  for  the  men, 
and  many  a  fine  sawlog  went  up  in  smoke  and  down  in  ashes. 

But  the  best  timber  is  gone.  There  are  few  sawmills.  It  is 
no  longer  possible  to  get  even  a  good  "barn  frame"  from  the 
growing  timber.  Some  thirty-five  years  ago  an  Indiana  firm 
sent  axmen  and  teamsters  with  great  log  wagons  into  a  county 
in  West  Central  Illinois  to  buy  up  and  ship  all  available  logs  of 
walnut,  cherry,  and  hard  maple.  The  farmers  who  happened  to 
have  these  trees  on  the  woodlands  sold  readily  at  a  trifling  price 
these  valuable  logs.  It  was  found  later  that  logs  that  were  sold 
for  two  or  three  dollars  apiece  were  worth  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  dollars  when  made  into  lumber. 

The  state  is  nearly  four  hundred  miles  from  north  to  south. 
Within  this  distance  of  four  hundred  miles  there  grows  as  great 
a  variety  of  trees  as  is  found  in  twice  the  distance  from  north  to 
south  in  the  countries  of  Europe. 

Exhibits  of  woods  of  the  different  forest  trees  found  in  Illinois 
were  made  in  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago  in 
1892,  and  in  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in  St.  Louis  in 
1903.  The  quality  of  the  woods  and  the  variety  were  a  great 
surprise  to  many  intelligent  citizens  of  the  state.  Three  kinds 
of  gum,  fourteen  kinds  of  oak,  four  kinds  of  hickory,  two  of 
locust,  four  of  ash,  five  of  maple,  and  four  of  elm  were  exhibited. 
In  addition  to  these  native  growths  there  were  shown  nineteen 
genera  of  cultivated  timber,  including  seventy-two  species — 
making  in  all  one  hundred  and  fifty  species  of  woods  in  the  state 
at  that  time.  A  farm  wagon,  a  part  of  the  timber  exhibit,  was 
shown  made  of  twenty-five  different  kinds  of  cultivated  woods,  all 
grown  on  one  farm  in  Lee  County.  It  was  claimed  that  there 
were  more  cultivated  woods  in  the  state  than  were  exhibited. 

The  oldest  citizens  tell  of  some  of  the  methods  of  waste  in  the 
timber  supply  in  the  early  days.  Often  in  alluvial  bottoms  where 
the  timber  had  reached  considerable  size,  it  was  customary  to 
clear  out  the  underbrush  and  then  with  axes  cut  deep  rings 
around  the  trunks  of  the  large  standing  trees.  Sometimes  a  belt 
of  bark  was  removed  from  the  standing  trees  a  foot  or  so  wide. 
This  was  done  in  the  early  spring  so  the  tree  would  not  put  forth 
any  leaves.  The  ground  was  broken  and  planted  usually  in  corn. 
The  sunshine  was  thus  enabled  to  get  to  the  ground  and  give 
strength  to  the  growing  crops.  In  the  course  of  a  year  or  so  the 
thrifty  farmer  would  cut  down  the  dead  trees,  burn  up  the  limbs 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  43 

and  make  lumber  of  the  logs  or  burn  them  in  the  log-heaps  as 
described  above. 

As  mentioned  above,  the  "log-rolling"  was  the  social  event  of 
the  early  spring  days.  The  farmer  who  had  no  desire  to  make 
his  large  trees  into  lumber  had  no  other  way  to  dispose  of  them 
except  to  burn  them.  This  was  often  done  by  building  a  large 
fire  at  the  foot  of  the  standing  tree  and  burning  the  tree  as  it 
stood.  Often  the  tree  would  burn  up  entirely.  Or  he  would  cut 
his  trees  down,  cut  the  body  into  lengths  of  twelve  to  sixteen 
feet  and  thus  prepare  for  his  social  gathering.  Invitations  would 
be  sent  to  the  neighbors  to  come  on  a  certain  day.  At  such  a 
time  the  women  would  also  be  invited  to  a  quilting  or  carpet 
tacking  at  the  home  where  the  log-rolling  was  to  occur.  The 
host  prepared  "hand  spikes"  for  use  in  carrying  the  logs.  A  log 
sixteen  feet  long  would  be  carried  by  eight  men — four  on  each 
side.  The  log  pile  was  made  of  ten  to  fourteen  logs.  The  fire 
was  built  on  top  of  the  logs  in  the  middle  part  and  fed  with 
smaller  fuel  until  the  log  pile  was  well  lighted.  The  log. pile 
would  then  burn  and  was  always  interesting  to  watch  and  to  see 
how  successfully  the  pile  was  burned  up.  This  seems  to  Us  to 
have  been  a  wanton  waste  of  valuable  timber. 

The  great  crops  of  prairie  grass  which  covered  all  the  open 
land  was  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the  early  pioneers.  This 
grass  was  tender,  juicy,  and  easily  obtained.  It  was  a  free 
pasture  for  all  farmers  who  lived  near  to  the  edge  of  the  woods. 
This  prairie  grass  was  often  cut  in  the  summer  and  cured  for 
roughage  for  the  winter.  Even  now,  on  the  markets  of  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis,  one  may  see  baled  prairie  hay.  It  is  shipped  into 
these  cities  from  some  of  the  Western  states.  If  the  prairie  was 
the  source  of  the  food  for  cattle  and  horses,  so  was  the  woods 
the  source  of  food  for  the  hogs.  The  early  settlers  in  Illinois 
settled  in  the  wooded  part  because  there  was  an  abundance  of 
mast  for  their  hogs.  The  oak,  beech,  hickory,  pecan  and  chest- 
nut in  the  forest  were  loaded  with  the  fruit  of  the  summer's 
growth.  In  the  late  fall  or  early  winter  these  trees  began  to 
drop  their  rich  nuts  to  the  ground.  The  hogs,  which  had  lived 
through  the  summer  on  grasses,  buds,  and  roots,  began  in  the 
late  fall  to  fatten  on  the  rich  masts  of  the  forests.  Much  of  the 
farmer's  meat  was  derived  from  the  hogs  whose  early  food 
through  the  fall  and  winter  had  been  the  nuts  and  acorns  from 
the  forest  trees. 

Although  the  natural  forested  area  of  Illinois  has  dropped 
from  25  to  17  per  cent  within  the  past  one  hundred  years,  it  is 
said  there  is  as  much  leafage  area  now  as  there  was  one  hundred 
years  ago.  If  this  is  true,  it  can  be  accounted  for  on  the  theory 
that  tree  planting  throughout  the  state  has  preserved  the  leafage 
area.    Most  of  the  states  in  the  Middle  West  are  giving  more  or 


44  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

less  attention  to  the  forestation  of  their  lands.  Illinois  has  done 
little  along  this  line.  The  farmers  and  villagers  have  given 
attention  to  the  planting  of  trees  and  to  the  preservation  of  the 
trees,  but  there  has  been  a  lack  of  interest  in  these  matters. 
However,  we  have  an  annual  Arbor  Day  and  Bird  Day,  and 
probably  good  influences  are  at  work  that  will  result  in  great 
good. 

Animal  Resources 

When  the  first  English  speaking  people  came  into  this  Western 
country  there  was  an  abundance  of  animal  life  in  the  forests  and 
on  the  prairies.  True,  there  was  not  much  "big  game,"  but  the 
game  that  was  here  served  a  very  good  purpose.  They  made  up 
a  share  of  the  food  products  and  to  some  extent  the  clothing.  Dr. 
Robert  W.  Patterson,  in  an  address  before  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society  in  1880  on  early  life  in  Southern  Illinois,  says  "There 
was,  however,  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  more  stable 
population  who,  at  an  early  day,  like  the  genuine  frontiersmen, 
devoted  themselves  a  great  part  of  the  time  to  the  hunting  of 
wild  game,  hunting,  trapping,  and  fishing.  There  were  induce- 
ments of  this  kind  of  life,  when  the  country  was  new.  For  deer, 
bears,  turkeys,  grouse  or  prairie  chickens,  and  other  fowl,  were 
abundant  in  the  woods  and  prairies,  and,  at  first,  even  elk  and 
buffaloes  were  numerous,  and  bees  were  found  in  all  the  forests. 
Bears  were  depended  upon  by  many  in  the  less  settled  regions 
for  salt  meat,  instead  of  pork,  until  these  animals,  in  a  few 
years,  disappeared  from  the  country."  Doctor  Patterson  lived 
in  Illinois  in  1822  and  knew  the  conditions  several  years  prior  to 
that  date.  He  further  says  that  hunting  parties  in  the  hilly 
country  of  the  Ozarks  would  kill  as  many  as  forty  bears  in  a 
single  day. 

Much  of  the  wild  game  has  disappeared.  There  are  few  or  no 
wild  turkeys ;  prairie  chickens  are  to  be  seen  here  and  there, 
though  rarely.  Foxes  are  very  scarce,  likewise  wolves ;  but  sev- 
eral species  of  fur-bearing  animals  are  to  be  found  along  the 
rivers  and  creeks.  The  state  has  taken  steps  to  preserve  the 
early  animal  life.  Bird  farms  are  supported  by  appropriations 
from  the  state  treasury.  On  these  bird  preserves  not  only  are 
native  birds  cared  for,  but  birds  are  brought  from  other  regions 
and  acclimated  to  Illinois. 

Not  only  were  the  land  animals  and  birds  of  great  value  in 
Illinois  from  the  earliest  days,  but  perhaps  no  state  could  surpass 
Illinois  in  the  value  of  the  fishes  of  our  streams  and  lakes.  The 
Natural  History  Department  of  the  state  has  collected  a  great 
many  statistics  relative  to  the  fish  supply  in  this  state.  This 
department  has  classified  the  fish  according  to  their  marketable 
value  into  four  classes.  In  the  first  class  these  fishes  are  placed 
— white  fish,  Great  Lake  trout,  blue  cat,  channel-cat,  mud-cat, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  45 

common  pike,  white  croppie,  blue  gill,  small-mouthed  black  bass, 
large-mouthed  black  bass,  wall-eyed  pike.  The  Illinois  River  is 
particularly  noted  as  one  of  the  finest  fishing  rivers  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi region.  The  value  of  the  fish  taken  from  the  Illinois 
River  exceeds  that  of  all  the  other  streams  of  the  state  combined, 
including  the  Mississippi  River  and  Lake  Michigan. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  INDIANS 

The  Algonquin  s — The  Illinois  Confederation — Indian 
Characteristics,  War,  Hunting,  the  Family,  Selfish- 
ness, the  Tribe,  Religion,  Social  Life,  Burial  of  the 
Dead,  Some  Virtues. 

The  Indians  found  in  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Mississippi 
basins  when  the  white  people  began  to  explore,  and  later  to  set- 
tle these  basins,  were  known  as  the  Algonquins.  They  com- 
prised several  powerful  tribes  among  which  were  the  Illinois 
Indians.  The  Algonquins  seemed  to  have  another  powerful  con- 
federation of  Indians  completely  surrounded.  These  were  the 
Iroquois  whose  home  was  in  the  present  state  of  New  York. 
When  the  French  came  up  the  St.  Lawrence  they  soon  came  into 
the  territory  of  the  Algonquins.  As  they  went  west  along  the 
basin  of  the  Great  Lakes  they  were  still  in  the  country  of  these 
same  people.  When  they  passed  over  into  the  basin  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi they  were  still  within  the  country  occupied  by  the 
Algonquins.  When  therefore  Marquette  and  Joliet  came  to  the 
Illinois  country  both  on  their  downward  trip  toward  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  and  on  their  return  journey  up  the  Illinois 
River,  they  were  still  within  territory  claimed  and  occupied  by 
a  people  who  by  the  test  of  language  were  Algonquins. 

This  great  body  of  North  American  savages  comprised  a 
dozen  or  more  subordinate  tribes  and  confederacies,  who  were 
scattered  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  along  the  lakes 
and  down  the  Mississippi.  There  were  no  great  differences 
among  these  Algonquin  tribes.  The  Indians  who  occupied  the 
present  State  of  Illinois  were  known  as  the  Illini — real  men. 
But  it  may  be  assumed  that  this  high  sounding  and  high  mean- 
ing title  might  as  appropriately  have  been  applied  to  many 
another  group  of  red  savages.  Indians  like  white  people  are 
very  much  alike,  and  many  characteristics  that  might  be  enumer- 
ated as  belonging  to  the  Indians  of  one  tribe  might  as  properly 
be  applied  to  Indians  of  another  tribe. 

The  Algonquins 

They  were  truly  the  "children  of  nature."  Theirs  was  an 
outdoor  life.  They  obtained  their  food,  chiefly  by  fishing,  and 
hunting,  and  the  chase.  They  cultivated  the  soil  in  many  cases 
and  lived  in  a  poorly  organized  community  life.  In  some  cases 
they  had  established  somewhat  permanent  homes,  buried  their 
dead  in  well  arranged  cemeteries  and  cultivated  the  soil.    They 

46 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


47 


Huron-Iroquois 


i 


were  crafty,  as  hunters,  herdsmen,  and  fishermen  usually  are. 
They  were  vindictive  as  uncultured  and  selfish  people  are  found 
to  be.  They  were  physically  strong  as  their  life  made  them.  They 
were  indolent  as  to  those  activities  that  would  lead  to  a  better 
domestic  life.  They  had  wonderful  powers  of  endurance.  They 
were  sometimes  generous,  always  treacherous,  and  wholly  un- 
appreciative.  They  knew  the  woods,  the  streams,  and  the  wild 
life.  They  had  made  some  progress  in  the  skilled  arts.  They 
worked  in  silver,  in  wool,  in  leather,  and  exhibited  a  sense  of 
color  which  enabled  them  to  add  a  touch  of  savagery  to  their 
bodies  when  on  the  war  path.  They  preserved  no  reliable  tradi- 
tions. They  falsified  unblushingly  when  it  was  to  their  interest 
to  do  so.  The  administering  of  torture  was  an  exact  science 
with  them,  and  they  seldom  returned  good  for  evil.  Those  who 
had  much  to  do  with  them  in  the  early  days  believed  that  a 
good  Indian  was  always  a  dead  Indian. 

Hurons 
Senecas 
Cayugas 
Onondagas 
Oneidas 
Mohawks 
Tuscaroras 
Knisteneaus 
Athascas 
Ottawas 
Chippewas 
Sacs  and  Foxes 
Menomonees 
Miamis 

Pottawatomies 
Kickapoos 
Illinois 
Shawnees 
Powhatans 
Corees 
Nantichokes 
Leni-Lenapes 
Mohegans 
New  England  In- 
dians 
Abenakes 
Susquehamock 
Mannahoacks 
Monocans 

The  Ulini  whom  Marquette  and  Joliet  found  within  the  limits 
of  the  present  State  of  Illinois  was  a  sort  of  confederation  of 
five  somewhat  distinct  peoples  about  12,000  in  number.     They 


Indians 

of 
Central 
North  America 


Algonquins 


48  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

were  known  as  the  Kaskaskias,  the  Cahokias,  Michigamies, 
Tamaroas  and  Peorias.  These  Illinois  Indians  are  thought  to 
have  come  from  the  west  and  to  have  halted  in  Illinois  near 
Lake  Michigan,  while  the  kindred  tribe,  the  Miamis,  passed  on 
into  Indiana  and  another,  the  Delaware,  passed  beyond  the 
Alleghanies  and  settled  on  the  Delaware  River.  There  were 
other  tribes  in  addition  to  the  Illini  in  the  limits  of  the  present 
state  when  the  French  first  visited  the  territory.  The  Sacs  and 
Foxes  were  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Illinois.  The  Kickapoos 
first  lived  near  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  later  in 
the  region  of  the  Sangamon  and  the  Mackinaw  rivers.  In  later 
years  they  lived  near  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  River.  The 
Piankeshaws  were  located  on  the  middle  and  lower  courses  of 
the  Wabash  River.  The  Pottawatomies  lived  at  first  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  Indiana  but  afterwards  moved  around  the  end 
of  the  lake  and  settled  near  Chicago.  Other  tribes  lived  near 
the  present  limits  of  the  state  and  more  or  less  influenced  the 
life  of  the  early  pioneers. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  Illinois  history  has  to  do  with  all 
or  very  many  of  the  Indians  of  North  America.  But  it  has  been 
said,  Indians  were  Indians  and  it  mattered  little  what  tribe 
the  white  people  had  to  do  with,  they  would  always  wish  it  had 
been  another  tribe.  It  is  true  that  some  tribes,  by  reason  prob- 
ably of  their  relation  to  the  white  people,  were  more  humane  than 
other  tribes.  The  Pottawatomies  were  the  savages  who  carried 
out  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre  in  1812.  The  Kickapoos  too 
were  guilty  of  indescribable  savagery.  Often  these  horrible 
acts  of  vengeance  by  a  group  of  Indians  were  wrought  upon 
another  group  of  Indians.  In  general  when  you  have  described 
the  activities  of  any  one  tribe  you  have  given  a  pretty  fair  pic- 
ture of  any  other  tribe. 

It  should  be  said  that  the  Iroquois  and  the  Canadian  tribes 
of  the  Algonquins  were  very  bitter  enemies,  and  since  the 
Illinois  Indians  were  Algonquins,  there  was  often  the  deadliest 
warfare  between  the  Illini  and  the  Iroquois. 

The  Illinois  Confederation 

At  the  coming  of  the  French  into  the  "Illinois  Country,"  there 
were  several  Algonquin  groups  of  Indians  within  the  territory 
of  the  present  state  of  Illinois.  These  were :  The  Illinois  Con- 
federation consisting  of  five  families — the  Kaskaskias,  the 
Cahokias,  Tamaroas,  Michigamies,  and  Peorias.  These  were 
the  Illini,  the  red  men  of  whom  Marquette  had  heard  much 
before  he  started  with  Joliet  to  explore  the  territory  of  the 
Mississippi.  In  addition  to  the  Illinois  Confederation  there  were 
the  Piankeshaws,  Pottawatomies,  Miamis,  Winnebagoes,  Kick- 
apoos, and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes.    In  addition  to  these  there  were 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  49 

tribes  that  moved  about  and  were  at  times  temporarily  settled 
in  Illinois. 

It  will  be  sufficient  to  give  briefly  a  sketch  of  each  tribe  and 
locate  eash  one  within  the  limits  of  the  state.  Let  us  begin 
with  the  Illinois  Confederation.  The  Kaskaskia  Indians  came 
from  the  far  west  and  settled  near  Lake  Michigan.  From  here 
they  were  driven  beyond  the  Mississippi  by  their  enemy,  the 
Iroquois.  They  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the  upper  Mississippi 
and  made  frequent  visits  to  the  mission  of  St.  Esprit  near  the 
head  of  Lake  Superior.  Father  Marquette  records  these  visits 
as  early  as  1670.  Shortly  after  this  date  they  moved  back  into 
the  Illinois  country  and  settled  on  the  Illinois  River  in  the 
vicinity  of  Utica,  seven  miles  below  Ottawa.  Here  they  built  a 
village  of  lodges.  But  there  were  other  villages,  for  when 
Marquette  founded  the  mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  in  1675,  there  were  present  a  concourse 
of  several  thousand  Indians.  In  1700  the  Kaskaskia  Indians 
moved  down  the  Illinois  River  and  passing  on  down  the  Missis- 
sippi came  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia  River.  Here  they 
stopped,  built  a  village  which  took  the  name  Kaskaskia.  The 
tribe  remained  here  a  century  or  more  when  they  were  put  on 
a  reservation  on  the  Big  Muddy  River  from  which  they  were 
removed  to  the  Indian  Territory  shortly  before  the  Civil  War. 

The  Cahokias  lived  in  Illinois  just  opposite  the  present  city 
of  St.  Louis.  They  were  not  a  large  body  but  they  had  a  very 
flourishing  village  at  that  place.  This  Indian  village  became 
the  county  seat  of  the  first  county  organized  within  the  limits 
of  Illinois.  These  Indians  gradually  decreased  in  numbers,  and 
they  eventually  joined  the  Kaskaskias. 

The  Michigamies  were  first  located  on  Lake  Michigan  and 
gave  their  name  to  that  lake.  The  fierce  Iroquois  eventually 
drove  them  south  where  they  lived  near  the  mouth  of  the  Okaw 
River.  The  tragic  story  of  the  death  of  the  Michigamies  on 
starved  rock  may  or  may  not  be  true,  but  the  tribe  was  an- 
nihilated by  their  enemies  from  the  north. 

The  Tamaroas  lived  in  the  present  county  of  St.  Clair,  but 
earlier  lived  on  the  upper  Illinois.  They  were  closely  associated 
with  the  Cahokia  Indians.  About  1680  they  were  attacked  by 
the  Iroquois  and  700  of  their  men,  women  and  children  were 
killed  or  carried  away  into  captivity.  The  final  struggle  came 
between  the  Tamaroas  and  the  Shawnees  about  the  year  1800 
in  a  battle  of  extermination.  This  battle  was  fought  near  where 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  crosses  the  Big  Muddy  River,  sev- 
enty miles  north  of  Cairo. 

The  Peorias  were  found  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  when  they 
returned  from  their  trip  down  the  Mississippi,  near  the  present 
city  of  Peoria  on  the  Illinois  River.     This  tribe  was  never  an 


50  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

important  division  of  the  Illini  Confederation.  They  lived  much 
in  dread  of  invasions  from  the  Iroquois  Indians.  They  were 
driven  to  the  south  and  joined  the  Kaskaskias  sometime  about 
the  last  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

In  addition  to  these  five  subdivisions  of  the  Illinois  Indians, 
there  lived  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  present  state  near  the 
mouth  of  Rock  River,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes.  These  Indians  were 
living  near  the  southern  extremity  of  Green  Bay  as  early  as 
1666.  At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  they  moved 
into  northern  Illinois  and  became  enemies  of  the  Indians  of  the 
Illinois  Confederation.  The  Sacs  and  Foxes,  together  with 
the  Kaskaskias,  were  very  dangerous,  both  to  the  French  and 
to  other  tribes.  The  French  efforts  at  flattery  were  unavailing 
and  they  rejected  all  overtures  of  friendship  offered  by  the 
French.  This  double  tribe  lived  in  Wisconsin  and  made  forays 
into  the  Illinois  country  from  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century  till  1781  when  they  became  permanently  settled  at  the 
mouth  of  Rock  River.  Here  they  attained  a  rather  marked  stage 
of  progress,  having  farms,  homes,  a  cemetery,  and  some  domes- 
ticated animals.  We  shall  hear  more  of  them  when  we  come 
into  the  statehood  period  of  Illinois. 

The  Winnebagoes  were  a  western  branch  of  the  Algonquins. 
They  were  in  the  region  of  Green  Bay  as  early  as  1640.  Here 
the  French  missionaries  found  them  in  1647.  They  were  a 
somewhat  manly  group,  brave  but  good  natured.  They  are 
described  as  an  uncouth  people,  their  language  a  deep  gutteral 
and  very  difficult  to  learn.  In  1766  they  were  found  farther 
south  in  Wisconsin  on  Fox  River.  From  here  they  moved  west 
and  made  Rock  River  their  home.  The  present  county  of 
Winnebago  is  supposed  to  be  their  early  home.  They  were  allies 
of  the  French  and  joined  Pontiac  in  his  rebellion.  Later  they 
were  won  over  to  the  side  of  the  British  and  in  the  War  of  1812 
they  were  bitter  enemies  of  the  Americans.  They  fought  against 
Colonel  Crogan  at  Mackinaw,  and  against  Colonel  Dudley  on 
the  Maumee;  and  against  General  Winchester  at  the  Battle  of 
the  Raisin.  They  lived  partly  in  southern  Wisconsin  and  partly 
in  Illinois.    We  shall  hear  of  them  again. 

The  Kickapoos  were  first  known  around  the  south  end  of  Lake 
Michigan.  They  moved  south  and  lived  for  several  years  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  state  and  in  the  western  part  of  Indiana. 
They  were  known  as  the  "Thieving  Kickapoos."  They  were  a 
strong  factor  in  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe.  They  lived  on  the 
upper  courses  of  the  Sangamon  and  the  Mackinaw  and  estab- 
lished a  village  known  as  the  "Grand  Kickapoo  Village."  This 
village  was  due  east  of  Peoria — about  fifty  miles — near  the 
present  city  of  Pontiac  in  Livingston  county.  The  Kickapoos 
were  always  ready  to  join  with  any  other  Indians  in  an  attack 
upon  the  whites.     In  1828  Peter  B.  Porter  of  the  War  Depart- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  51 

ment,  Washington,  D.  C,  notified  Governor  Ninian  Edwards  that 
all  the  Indians  in  Illinois  were  preparing  to  move  west  "except 
the  band  of  the  Kickapoo  Prophet — and  it  is  hoped  that  no 
further  cause  of  dissatisfaction  will  arise  requiring  force  to 
compel  the  removal  of  this  fragment  at  an  early  day." 

The  Mascoutins  were  an  unimportant  group  of  Indians  who 
roamed  over  the  east  central  part  of  Illinois  and  in  connection 
with  the  Kickapoos  were  a  great  menace  to  the  earliest  settlers. 
They  in  connection  with  the  Kickapoos  captured  Colonel  Crogan 
when  he  came  down  the  Ohio  in  1763  to  receive  the  surrender  of 
the  Illinois  country  from  the  French. 

The  Piankeshaws  occupied  the  lower  valley  of  the  Wabash 
and  westward  to  the  central  part  of  the  state.  They  earlier 
lived  near  Green  Bay,  and  Father  Allouez  speaks  very  highly 
of  them — particularly  of  their  chief,  about  1670.  They  were 
active  participants  in  the  Pontiac  conspiracy,  and  earlier  were 
a  member  of  LaSalle's  colony  at  Fort  St.  Louis.  Little  Turtle 
was  a  warrior  of  this  tribe  and  he  won  great  honor  for  himself 
among  the  Indians  as  he  led  his  warriors  in  the  defeat  of  Gen. 
Arthur  St.  Clair  on  the  Miami,  November  4,  1791.  They  were 
transferred  to  the  Indian  territory  where  they  counted  only 
about  one  hundred  people  in  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. 

The  Pottawatomies  lived  at  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan 
but  mostly  on  the  Indiana  side.  They  were  a  blood  thirsty  tribe. 
It  is  said  that  the  missionaries  could  make  no  headway  toward 
converting  them  to  the  Catholic  faith.  About  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century  they  moved  over  on  the  west  side  of 
Lake  Michigan  and  were  living  there  when  the  War  of  1812 
began.  It  may  have  been  that  the  influence  of  the  British  agents 
was  responsible,  but  they  carried  out  the  greatest  and  most 
unprovoked  massacre — that  of  the  soldiers  from  Fort  Dearborn 
in  1812,  that  ever  occurred  here  in  the  west.  They  eventually 
moved  into  the  southwest  where  they  numbered  1500  people  in 
the  last  century. 

Indian  Characteristics,  War 

The  most  common  characteristic  of  all  Indians  at  all  times 
was  the  tendency  to  make  war.  War  was  the  common  occupa- 
tion among  the  Indians  long  before  the  whites  came.  The 
Europeans  never  introduced  war  among  the  races  of  Red  men. 
They  seem  always  to  have  been  familiar  with  war.  It  has  been 
said  that  for  the  old  Indian  his  greatest  comfort  in  his  old  age 
was  to  look  back  on  a  busy  life  of  warlike  activity.  To  the 
young  brave  it  was  his  highest  ambition  to  see  himself  a  great 
warrior.  It  can  not  be  denied  that  they  had  qualities  of  a  good 
warrior,  not  to  say  of  a  good  soldier.  They  were  brave,  self- 
sacrificing,  and  calculating.    They  were  strategists  and  estimated 


U.  OF  HA.  LIB. 


52  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  efficiency  of  their  enemy  with  accuracy.  They  were  good 
leaders.  When  one  of  their  number  was  selected  to  lead,  there 
was  no  stabbing  in  the  back,  no  jealousies,  no  undermining. 
They  had  long  memories  on  wrongs  they  had  suffered,  and 
forgot  with  ease  the  kindnesses  of  their  foe.  Their  service  in 
battle  was  voluntary  and  without  pay  except  the  loot  which  they 
might  gather  from  their  victories.  The  method  of  raising  a 
volunteer  army  has  been  described  as  follows: 

"The  leader  who  attempted  to  raise  a  volunteer  band  for  war 
purposes,  must  have  previously  distinguished  himself  in  the 
chase,  in  the  killing  of  big  game,  or  in  previous  battle.  He 
first  appealed  to  the  patriotism  and  courage  of  the  warriors, 
and  was  careful  to  intimate  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  made 
known  to  him  in  dreams  the  success  of  his  enterprise.  Then 
painted  with  vermilion  to  symbolize  blood,  he  commenced  the 
war  dance.  This  performance  expressed  in  pantomime  the 
varied  incidents  of  a  successful  campaign.  The  braves  entering 
on  the  war-path,  the  posting  of  sentinels  to  avoid  surprise,  the 
advance  into  the  enemy's  country,  the  formation  of  ambuscades 
to  strike  the  unwary  foe,  the  strife  and  carnage  of  battle,  the 
writhing  victim  sinking  under  the  blow  of  the  war-club,  the 
retreat  of  the  enemy,  the  scalping  of  the  slain,  the  feasting  of 
the  vultures  on  the  putrid  bodies,  the  triumphant  return  of  the 
war  party  to  their  village,  and  the  torturing  of  prisoners,  were 
all  portrayed  with  the  vividness  and  the  vehemence  of  actual 
warfare. 

"As  this  pantomime  proceeded  the  onlookers  became  more  and 
more  interested  and  warrior  after  warrior  wishing  to  volunteer 
for  the  expedition,  rapidly  fell  into  the  dance  with  the  leader. 
Each  one,  keeping  time  with  the  beat  of  the  drum,  sped  in 
mazy  circles  around  a  common  center,  until  with  increased 
members  the  whole,  in  movement  and  uproar,  resembled  the 
whirlwind.  The  several  actors  taxed  their  muscular  energies 
to  the  utmost  endurance,  stamping  the  ground  with  great  fury, 
throwing  their  bodies  into  different  attitudes  of  combat,  dis- 
torting their  faces  with  the  frenzy  of  demons,  and  uttering  the 
war-cry  with  the  frightful  shriek  of  madmen.  These  hideous 
orgies  were  a  fitting  prelude  to  the  premeditated  carnage.  If  a 
young  warrior  participated  in  the  dance,  it  was  incumbent  upon 
him  to  enlist  in  the  war  and  he  could  not  afterwards  honorably 
withdraw." 

Frances  Parkman  says  in  The  Conspiracy  of  Pontiac,  in  de- 
scribing the  war-spirit  of  the  Iroquois,  "With  fasting  and 
praying,  and  consulting  dreams  and  omens;  with  invoking  the 
war-god,  and  dancing  the  war-dance,  the  warriors  sought  to 
insure  the  triumph  of  their  arms ;  and  then,  their  rites  concluded, 
they  began  their  stealthy  progress  through  the  devious  pathways 
of  the  forest. — And  now  as  evening  closed,  a  shrill,  wild  cry, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  53 

pealing  from  afar,  over  the  darkening  forest,  proclaimed  the 
return  of  the  victorious  warriors.  The  village  was  alive  with 
sudden  commotion ;  and  snatching  sticks  and  stones,  knives  and 
hatchets,  men,  women,  and  children,  yelling  like  fiends  let  loose, 
swarmed  out  of  the  narrow  portal,  to  visit  upon  the  captives  a 
foretaste  of  the  deadlier  torture  in  store  for  them.  The  black 
arches  of  the  forest  glowed  with  the  fires  of  death;  and  with 
brandished  torch  and  firebrand  the  frenzied  multitude  closed 
around  their  victim." 

Hunting 

Hunting  was  an  activity  which  all  Indians  engaged  in.  There 
were  different  motives,  perhaps,  but  an  important  one  was  to 
obtain  food.  The  Indian  lived  largely  upon  the  food  to  be 
obtained  from  the  forests  and  prairies.     It  is  said  by  some 


PICTOGRAPH  FOUND  ON  BLUFFS  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  RIVER 

writers  that  the  Indians  did  not  take  kindly  to  fish  as  a  food. 
But  the  meat  of  the  deer,  buffalo,  bear,  and  of  smaller  game, 
together  with  all  the  game  birds  of  forest  and  waters,  made 
up  a  large  percent,  of  the  daily  food.  The  meat  of  wild  animals 
was  supplemented  by  a  liberal  quantity  of  grains,  beans,  and 
other  vegetables. 

Before  the  coming  of  the  white  man,  the  chief  weapon  with 
which  to  procure  food  was  the  bow  and  arrow.  Trapping  of 
game  and  birds  was  a  common  method  of  securing  food.  The 
spear  was  used  in  catching  fish.  The  dead  fall  was  a  trap  in 
which  one  end  of  a  heavy  log  was  held  up  by  a  system  of  triggers, 
and  the  animal  lured  under  it  by  some  bait  which  was  far 
enough  under  the  log,  that  when  the  trap  was  sprung  the 
animal  was  securely  held  by  the  heavy  log.  This  form  of  taking 
game  was  used  when  the  purpose  was  to  obtain  the  fur  bearing 
hides  of  animals. 

So  much  stress  was  put  upon  the  skillful  use  of  the  bow  and 
arrow,  that  the  boys  early  began  the  practice  of  shooting  with 


54  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

their  weapons.  The  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow  had  much  to  do 
in  developing  the  arms  and  body  of  the  young  men.  It  is  said 
that  the  experienced  hunter  could  drive  the  arrow  entirely 
through  the  body  of  a  buffalo.  When  the  white  man  taught 
the  Indians  the  use  of  firearms  it  was  fully  expected  that  they 
would  displace  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow,  but  this  theory 
was  not  altogether  found  true.  Many  Indians  carried  the  bow 
and  quiver  in  preference  to  the  gun  on  hunting  excursions. 

Hunting  was  not  so  much  an  individual  thing  as  it  was  a 
community  affair,  particularly  with  those  tribes  that  gave  some 
intelligent  attention  to  the  raising  of  corn,  squashes,  beans  and 
other  agricultural  products.  The  summer  was  given  over  to  a 
sort  of  languid  life ;  the  women  doing  whatever  cultivation  was 
required  to  mature  the  crops.  When  winter  came  on,  by  a 
sort  of  common  consent,  the  whole  tribe  made  preparation  for 
the  annual  hunt.  On  these  annual  hunts,  the  tribe  selected  some 
appropriate  locality  close  to  the  hunting  grounds  where  the 
winter  camp  could  be  pitched.  From  this  winter  camp  the 
hunters  went  forth  singly  or  in  small  groups.  The  experienced 
hunter  was  acquainted  with  all  the  devices  for  deceiving  the 
game,  and  considered  that  as  much  glory  should  come  to  the 
great  hunter  as  should  come  to  the  great  warrior. 

The  carcass  of  the  animals  taken  in  these  winter  hunts  was 
prepared  for  the  use  of  the  families  in  the  coming  spring  and 
summer.  This  was  done  by  drying  and  smoking  or  by  the  use 
of  salt.  The  skins  of  the  animals  could  be  used  for  the  fur  or 
the  pelts  could  be  dressed  for  clothing,  moccasins  or  thongs. 
When  the  tribesmen  returned  to  their  summer  homes  they 
brought  a  large  quantity  of  cured  meats,  and  hides.  It  was 
through  the  contact  of  the  Indian  with  the  various  phases  of 
nature  that  they  acquired  such  perfection  in  the  work  of  their 
physical  senses.  Their  sight  was  unerring,  they  heard  with 
the  keenness  of  the  wild  animals,  they  interpreted  every  move- 
ment, sound,  and  object  with  the  unerring  correctness. 

The  Family 

The  family  and  tribal  organization  did  not  differ  materially 
from  that  of  primitive  peoples  in  European  countries.  The 
family  was  in  no  sense  an  ideal  institution.  There  was  what 
we  understand  as  a  marriage  relation.  The  hunter-warrior- 
brave  had  his  wife,  often  two  or  three,  who  was  the  mother  of 
his  children.  It  has  been  said  by  those  who  knew  Indian  life 
pretty  well  that  there  was  no  union  of  affection  between  the 
brave  and  his  wife.  She  was  to  all  intents  and  purposes  his 
slave  who  did  his  work  and  obeyed  his  commands.  She  was 
from  an  economic  viewpoint,  a  beast  of  burden.  She  did  almost 
all,  if  not  all,  of  the  work  in  raising  crops,  procuring  and  pre- 
paring the  food  and  in  moving  from  one  place  to  another. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


55 


Selfishness 

The  Indian  was  essentially  selfish.  The  brave  pursued  his 
own  course  and  indulged  his  own  fancy.  He  showed  little  or  no 
sympathy  with  his  wife,  child,  or  parent.  His  wife  received  no 
help,  encouragement,  or  sympathy  from  her  husband-brave. 
His  home  was  only  a  shelter.  It  was  no  place  for  the  expression 
of  love,  interest,  or  helpfulness.  There  was  no  privacy  in  the 
wigwam  or  home,  and  no  preparation  to  care  for  the  young,  the 
sick,  or  the  helpless.  Polygamy  was  an  open  shame  in  many 
tribes.  The  brave  might  dissolve  the  frail  tie  which  bound  one 
woman  to  him  and  contract  another  as  frail  which  bound 
another  woman  to  him.    It  has  been  shown  by  the  laws  among 


>*EMA.N       Pit  TO  C<  H  AP   H.     '                          ,    Hm»T«    J*V  .HlKTvl.S. 

INDIAN   BUFFALO   PAINTED   ON   A    BLUFF   IN   JOHNSON   COUNTY 


them,  governing  the  descent  of  the  sachem's  rights  that  no  Indian 
brave  had  any  assurance  that  the  children  which  his  wife  bore 
were  his  own  offspring.  So  uncertain  was  it  that  the  sachem's 
title  passed  from  the  ruling  brave  to  a  sister's  child,  never  to 
his  wife's  child. 

The  tribe  was  an  enlarged  family.  When  the  family  consisted 
of  an  old  brave,  his  wife  and  their  children,  they  adopted  some 
sign  or  emblem  which  served  as  a  distinction  to  separate  them 
from  other  families.  This  sign  was  called  a  totem,  and  was 
usually  an  animal  or  a  bird.  When  the  totem  was  once  estab- 
lished, the  family  grew  by  marriages  with  other  families  or  by 
other  methods.  The  marriage  of  one  member  of  a  family  never 
could  be  consummated  with  another  member  of  that  same  family. 
The  marriage  of  the  members  of  different  families  or  clans 
naturally  bound  these  different  families  and  clans  together  and 


56  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

thus  large  tribes  were  formed  with  subordinate  units  known  as 
families  or  clans  or  often  as  tribes. 

There  was  a  head  clansman  known  as  sachem  in  some  tribes 
and  in  others  as  chief.  He  got  his  position  through  inheritance 
through  his  mother  in  some  cases,  and  in  others  by  common 
consent  because  of  his  prowess  in  the  chase  or  in  battle.  It  is 
said  too  that  the  tribesmen  desired  a  chief  who  could  talk  well 
and  had  persuasive  powers.  There  were  many  Indian  chiefs 
whose  speeches  have  been  preserved  and  when  translated  into 
our  tongue  are  types  of  elegant  English  and  of  forceful  argu- 
ment. 

The  chief  often  called  about  him  the  principal  members  of 
the  tribe,  and  thus  constituted  a  council.  There  often  sat  in  these 
councils,  the  very  old  men  of  the  tribe — too  old  to  go  to  war. 
The  chief  would  often  be  a  much  younger  man.  It  was  consid- 
ered the  point  of  wisdom  on  the  part  of  the  chief  to  give  heed 
to  the  advice  and  counsel  of  these  old  warriors.  These  council 
gatherings  were  conducted  with  great  decorum.  There  was  the 
greatest  respect  for  the  one  who  was  giving  advice  or  using  his 
persuasive  powers  for  or  against  a  proposition.  The  Indian 
chief  in  council  with  his  warriors  and  old  men  about  him  has 
often  been  the  lure  of  the  artist  who  wishes  to  portray  the  oc- 
casion of  considering  some  great  questions  of  state. 

Religion 

The  Indian  was  a  religious  creature,  we  are  sure.  Their 
religion  was  a  simple  matter  with  them,  but  it  was  a  universal 
characteristic.  It  has  been  said  there  were  no  infidels  among 
the  Indians.  The  general  belief  among  the  Indians  was  that 
there  are  many  gods.  That  is  they  saw  a  god  in  the  sun,  moon, 
wind,  storm,  the  ocean,  and  in  fire,  water,  thunder  and  in  the 
still  small  voice.  At  the  same  time  they  saw  gods  in  the  forces 
of  nature,  they  also  had  one  special  manifestation  of  the  Great 
Good  Spirit.  But  for  fear  of  the  need  of  having  to  attribute 
evil  doings  to  the  Great  Good  Spirit,  they  created  a  Great  Bad 
Spirit.  They  thus  worked  out  a  theology  not  at  all  different 
from  some  systems  held  by  more  highly  civilized  people  today. 

The  Indians  believed  in  a  life  after  this  life.  It  is  not  easy 
to  know  just  what  their  religious  notions  were  as  to  this  matter 
dissociated  from  the  influences  of  the  missionaries.  But  we  do 
know  that  one  of  the  great  ambitions  was  to  go  to  the  happy 
hunting  grounds  in  the  hereafter.  This  happy  hunting  ground 
was  an  idealized  counterpart  of  the  hunting  grounds  over  which 
they  had  roamed  while  in  this  life. 

Among  most  barbarous  peoples  there  are  priests  who  have 
perfected  a  rather  complicated  system  of  practices  and  beliefs 
to  which  the  people  must  conform  in  order  to  gain  the  favor 
of  the  gods.  But  among  the  Indians  in  the  central  North  Ameri- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  57 

can  regions,  there  were  no  Indians  found  who  had  a  priesthood 
separate  and  apart  from  the  common  people.  And  again  there 
were  no  temples  among  the  Algonquins  and  Iroquois.  Among 
the  Central  American  Indians  however,  there  were  temples  of 
worship  and  systems  of  priesthoods. 

Social  Life 

The  social  life  of  the  Indians  makes  up  an  interesting 
chapter.  As  has  been  indicated  previously,  there  was  not  among 
the  Indians  a  very  high  type  of  home  life.  The  wigwam  or  long- 
house  was  often  occupied  by  two,  three,  and  sometimes  ten 
families.  There  was  no  privacy  in  such  a  domicile.  There  was 
no  social  intercourse — no  talking  between  the  members  of  the 
family — no  family  ties,  no  planning  to  make  life  more  tolerable. 
The  fire  was  built  in  the  center  of  the  hut  and  the  smoke  made 
its  way  out  through  an  opening  in  the  center  above.  The  cooking 
was  done  over  the  open  fire  and  was  a  very  unsanitary  process. 

Intoxication  was  a  common  state  of  the  brave  when  not  in  war 
or  in  the  chase.  It  is  stated  that  the  Indians  were  quite  familiar 
with  intoxicating  drinks  before  the  coming  of  the  whites,  but 
the  intoxicating  beverages  which  the  whites  introduced  among 
the  savages  were  the  ruin  of  many  an  Indian.  Women  seemed 
not  to  have  been  addicted  to  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks. 

Dancing  was  an  innocent  pastime  which  was  universally  in- 
dulged in.  Of  course  there  were  different  purposes  in  the 
dances.  The  war  dance  was  for  the  purpose  of  working  up  an 
interest  in  an  attack  upon  an  enemy  and  was  accompanied  with 
violent  physical  and  mental  exertion.  In  all  dances  there  was 
some  form  of  music.  In  some  instances  this  rhythmic  noise 
was  produced  by  the  ones  who  were  dancing ;  often  the  onlookers 
furnished  the  music. 

Burial  of  the  Dead 

The  burial  of  the  dead  was  a  solemn  ceremony ;  and  was  much 
the  same  in  all  tribes.  They  often  dug  graves  and  placing  sticks 
or  grass  in  the  bottom,  laid  the  dead  therein  and  covered  it  over 
with  skins.  The  grave  was  then  filled  with  earth  and  a  mound 
made  much  as  we  do  today.  In  some  cases  the  corpse  was  placed 
in  a  sitting  posture.  The  body  was  often  wrapped  in  skins  and 
placed  on  a  scaffold  some  feet  above  the  ground.  In  this  way 
the  body  was  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  prowling  dogs  and 
wolves.  It  was  customary  to  bury  with  the  dead  body  the  per- 
sonal belongings  of  the  deceased.  The  dead  were  not  forgotten 
as  often  the  friends  visited  the  grave  and  in  some  cases  kept 
fires  burning  on  or  near  the  grave  for  several  days.  In  parts 
of  the  country  where  slabs  of  stone  were  plentiful  the  grave 
was  lined  with  flat  stones,  sides  and  bottom.  The  body  was 
placed  in  this  vault  and  large  flat  stones  were  laid  over  the 


58  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

grave  and  covered  with  earth.  Such  cists  have  been  found  near 
Equality  in  Gallatin  County.  In  Missouri,  bodies  of  men,  women, 
and  children  have  been  found  enclosed  in  large  earthen  pans  of 
the  size  of  small  bath  tubs  which  were  used  in  the  evaporation 
of  salt  water.  The  body  was  placed  in  one  of  these  vessels  and 
another  vessel  would  be  inverted  over  the  first  and  the  two  ce- 
mented together  with  some  form  of  pitch.  These  earthenware 
coffins  were  placed  in  excavations  in  the  earth  and  covered  over. 

Some  Virtues 

All  the  truth  about  the  Indians  would  include  the  fact  that 
many  of  these  red  men  had  some  qualities  which  the  white  man 
ought  to  respect.  Their  chiefs  often  expressed  the  natural  love 
their  people  had  for  the  rivers,  plains  and  woods ;  for  the  priv- 
ilege of  fishing,  hunting  and  living  where  nature  beckoned  them 
to  come  and  to  stay.  They  loved  their  home,  the  solitude  of  the 
forest,  the  graves  of  their  dead.  It  was  difficult  for  the  Indians 
to  think  of  the  white  as  any  other  than  trespassers  on  lands 
which  they  thought  their  own.  If  we  are  to  believe  the  stories 
which  have  come  down  to  us  from  the  not  very  distant  past, 
we  must  believe  that  individuals  of  this  fast  disappearing  race 
possessed  remarkable  powers  of  argument  and  beautiful  gifts  of 
oratory.  The  speeches  made  by  Pontiac  Little  Turtle,  Red  Jacket, 
Tecumseh,  Chief  Logan,  Black  Hawk  and  others  are  models  of 
consecutive  thought  and  examples  of  polished  expression.  One 
writer  has  said,  "Cruel  and  implacable  as  the  savages  of  North 
America  were,  it  would  be  doing  them  great  injustice  to  say, 
that  instances  of  extraordinary  frinedship,  of  fidelity,  kindness 
and  forbearance  were  unknown". 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  FRENCH  IN  CANADA 

Relation  of  Illinois  to  Canada — America  in  Three  Par- 
cels— English  and  French  Contrasted — Champlain, 
Father  of  New  France — Pushing  Into  the  Interior — 
First  Bishops  in  New  France — The  Congress  of  Sault 
Ste.  Marie. 

Illinois,  physically  considered,  is  a  portion  of  the  great  Mis- 
sissippi basin;  the  Mississippi  basin  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
continent  of  North  American.  The  people  who  have  lived  in 
Illinois  sustained  a  vital  relation  to  the  people  who  lived  in 
the  Mississippi  basin,  and  the  people  who  lived  in  the  Mississip- 
pi basin  were  closely  related  to  the  people  who  lived  on  the  con- 
tinent of  North  America.  The  history  of  the  people  who  have 
lived  in  Illinois  is  a  portion  only  of  the  history  of  the  people 
who  have  lived  and  wrought  in  the  great  basin  of  the  Father 
of  Waters.  And  the  history  of  this  basin  is  only  a  portion  of 
that  of  the  United  States,  and  that  only  a  part  of  the  history 
of  the  whole  of  North  America. 

Relation  of  Illinois  to  Canada 

But  this  history  of  North  America  involved  three  great  Euro- 
pean nations,  England,  Spain,  and  France.  The  history  of  the 
English  in  America  is  more  intimately  connected  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  French  in  America  than  with  the  Spanish  in  America. 

History  is  a  causal  science  having  to  do  with  the  activities  of 
the  human  race  living  in  organized  society.  "No  man  liveth  to 
himself  alone,"  and  no  people  liveth  to  themselves  alone.  There- 
fore human  society  is  the  result  of  all  the  influences  that  have 
been  operating  upon  it.  Human  society  therefore,  being  a  com- 
plex of  many  interacting  agents  can  never  be  understood  per- 
fectly until  each  influencing  agent  is  thoroughly  comprehended 
in  its  action  upon  the  social  whole. 

The  history  of  any  unit  of  society  is  what  it  is  because  of  the 
influence  of  the  units  about  it.  The  history  of  the  life  of  the 
early  Virginia  colonists  was  influenced  by  the  Indians  all  about 
them.  The  Dutch  of  New  York  had  been  weakened  as  Dutch- 
men by  the  nearness  of  New  Haven  and  the  towns  on  the  Con- 
necticut River.  The  old  Puritan  standards  which  were  planted 
in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  in  the  first  half  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century  have  all  but  disappeared  before  the  attack  of 
the  commercial  spirit  of  the  last  century.    The  people  who  have 

59 


60  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

lived  on  the  border  of  the  Latin-American  countries  have  had 
a  different  course  from  what  they  would  have  had  if  their  neigh- 
bors had  been  Anglo-Saxons.  In  a  similar  way  we  may  show 
that  the  colonies  that  bordered  the  French  in  Canada  in  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  were  greatly  affected  by 
the  nearness  of  the  Gallic  spirit. 

And  while  we  propose  to  write  the  history  of  Illinois,  it  can 
be  done  well  only  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  effect 
directly  and  indirectly  of  the  presence  of  the  French  not  only  in 
Canada,  but  in  the  very  limits  of  the  state  itself.  The  life  of 
the  people  of  Illinois  was  not  so  greatly  affected  by  the  Spanish 
to  the  west  and  south  of  us,  but  they  had  their  influence  upon 
us,  we  may  be  sure. 

America  in  Three  Parcels 

When  fate  parceled  out  the  continent  of  North  America  to 
the  Europeans  she  very  generously  gave  the  English  the  most 
valuable  section,  reaching  north  and  south  from  the  32°  of  north 
latitude  to  the  49th  parallel.  An  observing  reader  of  history 
once  remarked  that  the  great  men  of  the  earth  were  born  and 
reared  in  the  vicinity  of  the  40th  parallel  of  north  lattitude. 
The  great  cities  of  the  earth,  he  said,  were  located  near  this 
parallel.  The  40th  parallel  runs  through  the  middle  of  this 
great  belt  which  was  apparently  set  apart  for  the  English  people. 

The  Spanish  people  were  assigned  a  country  which  in  many 
ways  was  well  adapted  to  them — the  warm  moist  country  to 
the  south  of  the  English  claim.  Here  they  have  been  for  four 
centuries. 

The  cold  regions  to  the  north  of  the  great  lakes  and  the  St. 
Lawrence  were  set  aside  for  a  very  bright,  active  and  resource- 
ful people.  The  French  were  better  able  to  contend  with  the 
cold  of  the  Canadian  winters  than  the  Spanish  were  with  the 
heat  of  the  southern  summers.  Their  whole  life  was  so  organ- 
ized, at  least  in  the  new  world,  that  they  did  not  need  a  rich 
soil  in  a  warm  country. 

To  the  English  was  left  the  choicest  part  of  the  continent, 
neither  too  hot  nor  too  cold.  In  this  moderate  climate,  were 
found  all  the  needful  resources  of  a  great  people — soil,  forests, 
prairies,  coal,  iron,  lead,  copper,  oil,  rivers,  lakes  and  ocean. 

English  and  French  Contrasted 

One  contrast :  "When  we  contrast  the  heroic  ardor  of  the 
French  voyageurs.  soldiers  and  priests  who  opened  up  the  Great 
West  to  the  vision  of  men,  with  the  apathy  of  the  English  col- 
onists, although  our  judgment  approves  the  final  issue,  we  can 
but  agree  with  Parkman  when  he  says  France's  pretenses  were 
moderate  (claims  to  territory)  and  reasonable  compared  with 
those  of  England."  (Parkman:  Montcalm  and  Wolfe,  I,  124, 
125.)     Hinsdale,  The  Old  Northwest,  p.  56. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  61 

Parkman  in  his  "Conspiracy  of  Pontiac"  has  made  a  striking 
contrast  between  the  French  colonists  of  Canada  and  the  Eng- 
lish settlers  of  the  old  thirteen  colonies,"  Canada,  the  offspring 
of  the  Church  and  State,  nursed  from  infancy  in  the  lap  of 
power,  its  puny  strength  fed  with  artificial  stimulants,  its 
movements  guided  by  rule  and  discipline,  its  limbs  trained  to 
martial  exercise,  languished,  in  spite  of  all,  from  lack  of  vital 
sap  and  energy.  The  colonies  of  England,  outcast  and  neglected, 
but  strong  in  native  rigor  and  self-confiding  courage,  grew  yet 
more  strong  with  conflict  and  with  striving,  and  developed  the 
rugged  proportions  and  unwieldly  strength  of  a  youthful  giant." 
Parkman  shows  the  basic  difference  between  the  two  peoples: 
"Feudalism  stood  arrayed  against  Democracy;  Papery  against 
Protestantism ;  the  sword  against  the  ploughshare.  If  we  search 
the  world  for  the  sharpest  contrasts  to  the  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral vassalage  of  Canada,  we  shall  find  it  among  her  immediate 
neighbors,  the  Puritans  of  New  England,  where  the  spirit  of 
non-conformity  sublimed  to  a  fiery  essence,  and  where  the  love 
of  liberty  and  the  hatred  of  power  burned  with  sevenfold  heat." 

The  English  settlers  became  attached  to  the  soil ;  they  loved 
the  scenes  of  their  labors;  they  built  homes,  and  joined  with 
nature  in  making  the  earth  more  beautiful.  They  were  sober, 
earnest,  thoughtful.  They  established  schools,  colleges,  churches, 
and  built  permanent  structures  both  temporal  and  spiritual. 
There  was  a  high  type  of  family  relationships.  The  father 
dwelt  with  his  wife  and  children  in  a  home  which  was,  the 
church  excepted,  the  most  sacred  place  on  earth.  They  enjoyed 
a  rare  and  sacred  privilege  of  self-government.  They  made 
their  own  laws,  selected  the  officials  to  execute  those  laws,  and 
punished  the  offenders. 

In  New  France,  there  were  few  homes  in  the  Anglo-Saxon 
sense.  There  was  no  attachment  to  a  place  of  residence  for 
there  was  a  roving  spirit  which  prevented  residence  of  sufficient 
length  of  time  for  attachments  to  become  fixed.  There  was  no 
love  of  the  soil  as  in  the  English  colonies.  The  Frenchman  was 
in  no  real  sense  an  agriculturist.  He  had  few  domestic  animals, 
and  gave  little  of  his  time  to  the  furthering  of  a  genuine  domes- 
tic life. 

The  lure  of  the  forests  and  their  rich  fur  bearing  animals 
took  the  Frenchman  into  the  midst  of  the  woods,  where  in  its 
solitude  he  was  much  better  satisfied  than  he  was  in  the  busy 
cities  and  villages.  The  fur  traders  became  almost  a  separate 
class  of  people,  "more  akin  to  the  Indians  than  to  the  white 
men."  Hence  the  interest  which  the  French  colonists  had  in 
agricultural  pursuits  was  at  a  very  low  ebb.  "Freely  rooted  in 
the  soil,  she  thrust  out  branches  which  overshadowed  half  of 
America;  a  magnificent  object  to  the  eye,  but  one  which  the 
first  whirlwind  would  prostrate  in  the  dust." 


62  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  zeal  of  the  French  in  Canada  for  the  Catholic  Church 
is  without  a  parallel  in  New  World  history.  Champlain  said, 
"The  saving  of  a  soul  is  worth  more  than  the  conquest  of  an 
empire."  Not  only  were  the  priests  interested  in  the  saving  of 
the  Indian's  soul,  but  the  rank  and  file  of  the  people  in  Canada 
were  "filled  with  the  zeal  of  proselytism." 

But  the  work  of  the  tradesmen,  and  the  work  of  the  priests 
could  not  have  prospered  had  it  not  been  for  the  strong  hand 
of  the  government.  The  soldier  was  early  on  the  ground  for 
the  conquest  of  the  territory  for  the  King  of  France.  This  was 
the  dream  of  those  who  furnished  the  strong  hand  of  miltary 
power.  There  were  thus  three  great  ideas  which  gave  life  and 
spirit  to  the  conquest  of  New  France.  This  was  the  conquest 
of  the  territory  in  the  name  of  Christ.  The  cross  must  be 
planted  in  every  village  and  the  natives  must  be  rescued  from 
ruin  of  body  and  soul  by  the  messengers  of  the  Gospel.  In 
somewhat  unfavorable  prominence  was  the  idea  of  worldly  gain, 
the  fur  trade  was  a  never  ending  source  of  wealth  to  those  who 
gave  their  time  and  energy  to  the  work  of  collecting  and  ship- 
ping the  rich  furs  to  the  old  world.  Lastly  there  was  the  idea 
of  empire.  The  flag  of  France  must  float  from  every  trading 
post.  It  must  be  planted  by  the  side  of  the  cross  in  every  mis- 
sion station. 

These  three  ideas  were  the  fundamental  moving  forces  in  the 
conquest  of  the  region  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  around  the  Great 
Lakes,  and  down  the  Father  of  Waters.  It  is  not  easy  to  say 
whether  there  was  any  particular  order  in  which  these  forces 
moved  to  the  conquest  of  the  new  regions.  In  most  instances  it 
may  be  shown  that  the  priests  were  in  the  van.  They  opened 
the  way  by  reason  of  their  evident  unselfish  interest  in  the  na- 
tives. But  they  were  not  far  in  advance  of  the  fur  trader  who 
came  with  the  attractive  wares  of  the  European  markets.  In 
the  story  of  Marquette  and  Joliet  we  have  a  union  of  two  ideas, 
that  of  the  saving  of  souls  and  of  establishing  dominion.  The 
government  was  somewhat  conservative  in  its  activities  and 
was  probably  lost  on  the  field  of  conquest.  But  all  of  these  agen- 
cies were  supplementary  one  to  the  other. 

Champlain,  Father  of  New  France. 

As  early  as  1504  French  fishermen  were  visiting  the  banks 
of  Newfoundland  and  the  coasts  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence River.  These  early  visitors  to  the  New  World  were  from 
the  quaint  corner  of  France  called  Brittany.  Cape  Breton  Island 
which  guards  the  entrance  to  the  St.  Lawrence  got  its  name 
from  these  Breton  fishermen.  In  1506.  Denys,  a  citizen  of  Hon- 
fleur,  a  small  port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Seine,  drew  for  the  King, 
Francis  I,  a  map  of  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  all  the 
adjacent  islands  and  coasts.     The  Normans  also  became  inter- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  63 

ested  in  the  fisheries  and  soon  there  was  a  beaten  path  between 
the  fishing  ports  of  Northwestern  France  and  the  banks  of  New- 
foundland. 

In  1524  Verrazano,  an  Italian,  was  employed  by  the  French 
King  to  explore  the  northern  coasts  of  the  New  World  since  the 
Spaniards  were  establishing  themselves  along  the  southern  coast 
of  the  new  continent.  This  mariner  visited  the  regions  in  and 
about  Nova  Scotia  and  was  received  kindly  by  the  natives.  In 
his  report  to  the  King  the  suggestion  was  made  of  the  possi- 
bility of  finding  a  route  through  the  continent  to  China.  Upon 
the  explorations  of  Verrazano,  the  King  based  his  claim  to  the 
ownership  of  the  northern  parts  of  the  New  World.  As  early 
as  1527  an  English  sea  captain  found  in  one  of  the  harbors  of 
Newfoundland,  eleven  Norman  vessels  and  one  Breton  vessel, 
all  engaged  in  the  work  of  taking  fish  on  the  Newfoundland 
banks. 

In  1534  the  French  King  selected  one  James  Cartier,  a  cele- 
brated French  navigator,  to  explore  the  St.  Lawrence  River. 
He  reached  Newfoundland  after  a  voyage  of  twenty  days  and 
raised  there  the  cross  and  the  banner  of  France.  He  sailed 
up  the  St.  Lawrence,  but  not  being  prepared  to  winter  here,  he 
returned  to  France.  His  report  to  the  King  was  intensely  in- 
teresting to  that  monarch  and  he  immediately  named  his  new 
possession  New  France.  In  the  following  year  Cartier  again 
sailed  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  which  he  named  after  that  distin- 
guished martyr,  as  far  as  where  Montreal  is  now  located.  Here 
he  held  a  conference  with  the  Indians,  erected  a  cross  and  re- 
turned to  his  ships,  where  he  spent  the  winter.  During  the 
winter,  which  was  very  severe,  he  lost  twenty-five  of  his  men 
who  died  of  scurvy,  a  malady  unknown  in  Europe,  it  is  said. 

France  was  not  interested  in  colonizing  the  St.  Lawrence 
region,  for  so  far  no  reports  had  been  made  of  gold  and  silver 
in  that  region,  and  nothing  further  was  done  till  1541,  when 
Cartier  returned  under  the  patronage  of  Lord  of  Roberval. 
Cartier  settled  a  small  colony  at  what  is  now  Quebec,  where 
they  spent  the  winter  of  1541-42.  In  the  spring  of  1542  Lord 
Roberval  arrived  with  more  colonists,  but  he  and  Cartier  disa- 
greed about  the  colonizing  plans  and  Cartier  returned  secretly 
to  France  in  the  summer  of  1542.  Roverval  wintered  at  Que- 
bec and  returned  to  France  with  all  the  colonists  in  the  spring 
of  1543. 

The  permanent  occupation  of  New  France  awaited  the  coming 
of  a  master  mind,  the  renowned  Samuel  de  Champlain,  a  man 
of  great  ability.  "Clever  in  his  preparations,  cautious  in  all 
his  movements,  indefatigable  in  his  efforts,  untiring  in  his  ex- 
ertions, and  fearless  of  danger."  Champlain  began  his  work 
in  New  France  in  1603  and  for  four  years  he  was  in  a  subordi- 
nate position.     But  in  1608  he  came  in  command  of  two  ships 


64  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

under  the  patronage  of  De  Monts  who  held  a  patent  from  the 
French  King  granting  him  the  monopoly  of  the  fur  trade  in  the 
St.  Lawrence  region  and  authorized  him  to  make  permanent 
settlements. 

Champlain  reached  the  present  site  of  Quebec  and  erected  a 
fort  near  where  Cartier  had  wintered  in  1541-2.  This  marks 
the  beginning  of  the  permanent  occupation  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
valley,  and  Champlain  has  been  known  as  the  Father  of  New 
France.  The  Indians  along  the  St.  Lawrence  had  been  visited 
by  the  previous  French  explorers.  There  were  three  different 
tribes  or  nations — those  near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
were  known  as  the  Montagnais,  mountain  Indians;  those  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Ottawa  River  and  the  northern  tributaries  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  were  Algonquins,  and  those  further  west  on  the 
north  side  of  the  lakes  were  the  Hurons.  They  were  all  ene- 
mies of  the  Iroquois,  who  lived  in  what  is  now  the  present  State 
of  New  York. 

Champlain  was  induced  in  the  summer  of  1609  to  go  with  a 
band  of  Algonquin  warriors  presumably  to  discover  a  beautiful 
lake  in  the  mountains  of  the  Iroquois  country,  but  in  reality 
to  make  war  on  the  Iroquois.  The  two  deadly  enemies  met  on 
the  west  shore  of  Lake  Champlain  on  a  bright  morning  in  June, 
1609.  Champlain  and  two  French  soldiers  with  guns  stepped 
forth  and  fired  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  Two  Iroquois 
chiefs  fell  dead.  The  frightened  Iroquois  fled  to  places  of  safety, 
leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
Algonquins.  This  "entangling  alliance"  which  the  French  en- 
tered into  with  the  Algonquins  was  a  very  unfortunate  move- 
ment in  New  World  diplomacy.  The  Iroquois  became  deadly 
enemies  of  the  French  and  thus  forced  the  latter  when  they 
wished  to  reach  the  interior  of  the  continent  to  seek  such  routes 
as  they  could  find  on  the  north  side  of  the  Great  Lakes.  Their 
route  was  up  the  Ottawa  River,  across  to  Lake  Huron,  by  way 
of  Mackinaw  and  Lake  Michigan  to  the  eastern  tributaries  of 
the  Mississippi. 

In  1615  Champlain  returned  to  France  for  additional  help. 
Among  the  aids  which  he  brought  back  from  the  homeland  were 
four  Franciscan  monks,  Denis  Jamay,  Jean  D'Olbeau,  Joseph 
Le  Caron,  Pacifique  Du  Plessis.  Jamay  and  Du  Plessis  were 
stationed  in  Quebec,  while  D'Olbeau  took  up  work  among  the 
Montagnais  Indians,  and  de  Caron  was  given  the  territory 
north  and  west  of  Lake  Erie.  All  of  these  priests  did  a  great 
work  in  keeping  alive  a  friendly  feeling  between  the  French  and 
the  Canadian  Indians.  The  work  undertaken  by  these  four 
monks  became  so  burdensome  that  they  appealed  to  the  Jesuits 
to  help  in  the  endless  task.  The  order  of  Jesuits  soon  became 
the  leading  order  in  New  France  and  their  work  has  been  the 
theme  for  great  praise  by  those  who  have  written  of  the  spread 
of  the  French  empire  in  the  New  World. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  65 


Pushing  Into  the  Interior 

Champlain  was  made  governor  of  New  France  and  held  the 
position  till  his  death  in  1635.  During  these  twenty-seven  years, 
he  was  constantly  furthering  the  interests  of  his  king  and  the 
Catholic  religion.  His  dream  was  to  find  a  way  through  the 
continent  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  that  aim 
he  was  continually  pushing  westward  into  the  interior  of  the 
continent.  Among  those  Champlain  sent  into  the  west  to  ex- 
plore and  lay  claim  to  the  country  was  Jean  Nicolet,  a  friend 
of  Champlain.  He  had  lived  with  the  Indians  and  had  mas- 
tered their  language  and  was  much  sought  as  an  interpreter. 
He  discovered  Lake  Michigan  in  1634.  He  visited  the  Indians 
around  Green  Bay  where  he  was  well  received  by  them.  He 
is  said  to  have  visited  the  most  northern  villages  of  the  Illinois 
Indians. 

Two  Jesuit  missionaries,  Brebeuf  and  Daniel,  visited  the 
River  St.  Mary  and  the  south  side  of  Lake  Superior  about  the 
year  1634.  By  1635  there  were  as  many  as  fifteen  Jesuit  priests 
in  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  along  the  St.  Lawrence. 

In  all  this  movement  of  the  missionaries  and  traders  into  the 
western  part  of  the  lake  region,  there  was  the  bitterest  opposi- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Iroquois.  They  never  allowed  an  expedi- 
tion to  make  use  of  the  St.  Lawrence  or  Lake  Ontario  and  Lake 
Erie.  In  passing  from  Quebec  to  the  Green  Bay  region  the 
French  must  go  a  thousand  miles  out  of  their  way.  But  these 
unwearied  Jesuits  were  always  in  advance  of  civilization.  "The 
history  of  their  labors  is  connected  with  the  origin  of  every 
celebrated  town  in  the  annals  of  French  America."  "All  day 
long  they  must  wade  or  handle  the  oar.  At  thirty  and  five  water- 
falls the  canoes  were  to  be  carried  on  the  shoulders  for  leagues 
through  the  thickest  woods  and  over  the  roughest  regions." 
Bancroft  tells  of  the  fate  of  Father  Bressani.  "Taken  prisoner 
while  on  his  way  to  the  Hurons  (1643)  ;  beaten,  mangled,  mu- 
tilated; driven  barefoot  over  rough  paths,  through  briers  and 
thickets;  scourged  by  a  whole  village;  burned,  tortured,  and 
scarred,  he  was  an  eye-witness  to  the  fate  of  one  of  his  com- 
panions, who  was  boiled  and  eaten.  Yet  some  mysterious  awe 
protected  his  life." 

But  in  the  year  1635  Champlain's  work  passed  into  other 
hands.  The  French  were  so  harassed  by  the  Iroquois  and  the 
Dutch  in  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  River  that  it  looked  as  if  the 
good  work  which  Champlain  and  those  under  his  direction  had 
done  would  all  go  for  naught.  But  brave  hearts  and  strong 
hands  came  to  the  task  and  eventually  the  interest  of  France 
in  this  part  of  the  New  World  was  prospering  again.  In  1655 
there  was  a  cessation  of  hostilities  on  the  part  of  the  Iroquois 
and  a  sort  of  peace  was  agreed  to  between  the  French  and  the 
Iroquois.    After  this  the  French  pushed  their  explorations  far- 

5V1 


66  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

ther  to  the  west  and  southwest.  Every  expedition  which  re- 
turned from  the  far  west  revealed  the  riches  of  that  region. 
Vast  stores  of  furs  from  the  region  of  the  three  western  lakes 
were  brought  at  regular  intervals  to  Montreal  and  Quebec  for 
shipment  to  the  markets  of  Europe. 

First  Bishop  in  New  France 

The  work  of  the  church  in  New  France  for  the  first  fifty 
years  was  without  the  direction  of  a  central  authority.  In  the 
year  1659  the  interests  were  considered  of  sufficient  importance 
to  justify  the  establishment  of  a  bishop's  see.  In  that  year  the 
first  bishop  of  New  France,  Francis  Xavier  de  Laval,  as  bishop 
of  Montreal,  arrived  from  France  with  many  subordinates  for 
the  further  extension  of  the  interest  of  the  Catholic  religion. 
The  Franciscan  order  furnished  most  of  the  early  workers  in 
the  church,  but  the  Jesuit  order  was  also  early  represented.  In 
about  1658  the  Franciscans  were  excluded  from  New  France 
and  from  that  time  the  Jesuits  were  the  main  support  of  the 
church.  "Their  missionaries  continued  to  defy  every  danger 
and  to  endure  every  toil."  But  just  when  the  skies  were  bright- 
ening for  the  French  a  war  broke  out.  French  missionaries 
who  had  gained  a  foothold  to  the  south  of  the  lakes  were  com- 
pelled to  abandon  their  stations  and  flee  to  Montreal  for  safety. 
Another  setback  came  to  the  French  in  the  years  following  the 
Restoration  in  England.  When  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  was 
transferred  from  the  Dutch  to  the  English  in  1664  the  end  of 
French  influence  among  the  Iroquois  was  at  hand. 

The  Algonquins  of  the  west  were  not  always  able  to  hold  the 
Iroquois  in  check  as  the  latter  would  go  forth  on  their  cam- 
paigns of  destruction.  They  therefore  sought  to  ally  themselves 
more  thoroughly  with  the  now  growing  French  power.  The 
Bishop  of  Montreal  himself  was  very  desirous  of  going  into  the 
west  to  bring  about  a  union  of  all  interests  opposed  to  the  de- 
structive power  of  the  Iroquois.  The  western  Indians  were 
anxious  to  build  up  commercial  relations  with  the  French.  In 
1660  a  deputation  of  300  Algonquins  in  sixty  canoes  loaded 
with  pelts  and  furs  accompanied  the  French  traders  on  their 
return  to  Quebec.  The  deputation  made  clear  to  the  French 
authorities  at  Quebec  the  need  of  an  alliance  between  the  French 
and  the  Indians  of  the  west. 

Father  Claude  Jean  Allouez,  S.  J.,  had  spent  two  years  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  In 
1669  he  returned  to  Quebec  to  urge  the  sending  of  groups  of 
French  emigrants  into  the  West  in  order  to  establish  permanent 
missions  and  trading  stations.  Several  missionaries  arrived 
from  France,  including  James  Marquette,  S.  J.,  about  the  time 
Allouez  visited  Quebec.  Almost  immediately  Father  Marquette 
with  Father  Dablon  repaired  to  the  West  and  founded  a  mission 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  67 

at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.  These  men  Bancroft  describes  as  defying 
the  severity  of  the  climate,  wading  through  water  or  through 
snows,  without  the  comfort  of  fire ;  having  no  bread  but  pounded 
maize,  and  often  no  other  food  but  the  unwholesome  moss  from 
the  rocks;  laboring  incessantly;  exposed  to  live,  as  it  were, 
without  nourishment,  to  sleep  without  a  resting  place,  to  travel 
far  and  always  incurring  perils,  all  this  to  carry  his  life  in  his 
hand,  expecting  captivity,  death  from  the  tomahawk,  tortures, 
fire.  As  they  traveled  to  and  fro  they  were  continually  hearing 
wonderful  stories  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Marquette  resolved 
upon  attempting  its  discovery  and  in  1669  began  to  study  the 
Illinois  language. 

The  Congress  at  St.  Mary's 

The  French  Government  had  never  up  to  1670,  taken  much 
interest  in  the  work  which  had  been  done  by  the  church  in  the 
far  west.  In  fact,  the  work  seems  to  have  been  the  result  of 
individual  effort.  But  the  increased  commercial  activities  be- 
tween Quebec  and  the  Algonquins  in  the  west  became  a  matter 
of  much  interest  to  the  French  government  about  this  time. 
Jean  Baptiste  Colbert,  a  brilliant  statesman,  was  made  Minis- 
ter of  Finance  upon  the  death  of  Cardinal  Mazarin  in  1661.  He 
immediately  introduced  fiscal  reforms  by  which  the  incomes  of 
the  government  were  soon  trebled.  He  became  deeply  inter- 
ested in  extending  the  power  of  France  westward  to  the  South 
Sea. 

The  intendant  of  New  France  was  M.  Jean  Talon,  who  under 
the  spirit  of  the  new  interest  of  the  French  Government  ap- 
pointed Simon  Francois  Daumont,  sieur  de  St.  Lusson,  who  had 
lately  been  engaged  in  establishing  French  interest  on  the 
Kenebec  River  to  hold  a  congress  of  the  Indian  tribes  at  St. 
Mary's,  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior,  in  the  summer  of  1671. 
An  agent  of  the  government  had  been  sent  into  the  region  about 
St.  Mary's  to  invite  the  several  tribes  to  send  delegates  to  the 
proposed  congress.  This  agent,  Nicholas  Perrot,  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  creating  interest  in  the  proposed  congress.  Fourteen 
different  nations  or  tribes  sent  delegates. 

On  the  fourth  of  June,  1671,  St.  Lusson,  with  Father  Allouez 
and  a  brilliantly  clad  retinue  of  French  officers,  arrived  at  the 
appointed  place.  St.  Lusson,  as  the  special  representative  of  the 
King  of  France,  pointed  out  to  the  assembled  congress  that  it 
was  the  purpose  of  the  "Great  King"  to  take  the  tribes  in  this 
western  part  of  New  France  under  his  special  care.  These 
delegates  remembered  too  well  the  horrid  butcheries  which  the 
Iroquois  had  for  many  years  perpetrated  upon  the  Algonquins 
of  the  country  round  about ;  and  the  brilliant  display  of  military 
force  which  France  had  sent  to  this  congress  was  well  calculated 
to  create  in  the  minds  of  those  present  the  unquestioned  ability 
of  France  to  defend  them  against  the  savage  Iroquois. 


68  HISTURY  OF  ILLINOIS 

One  purpose  of  this  congress  was  to  detach  the  Indians  with 
their  fur  trade  from  the  attractive  markets  opened  by  the  Eng- 
lish around  the  coasts  of  Hudson  Bay.  At  regular  intervals 
great  trains  of  hunters  and  trappers  were  carrying  tons  of  furs 
to  the  trading  posts  along  the  south  border  of  Hudson  Bay.  If 
this  trade  should  continue,  the  French  traders  might  as  well 
close  their  doors,  and  the  priests  might  as  well  return  to  Quebec 
or  to  France. 

Again  there  was  an  ill-defined  purpose  of  sending  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Illinois  country  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  Gospel 
to  that  region,  and  to  discover  whether  this  great  river  the  mis- 
sionaries had  heard  of  might  not  empty  into  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific.  The  Indians  had  reported  it  as  a  fact  that  it  did  flow 
into  the  Gulf  of  California.  "Every  nation  of  Western  Europe 
had  been  enthusiastic  with  the  hope  of  discovering  a  direct  route 
by  water  to  China,  and  all  had  searched  for  it  in  vain." 

The  Indians  were  greatly  impressed  with  the  ceremonies  of 
the  congress  and  the  friends  of  St.  Lusson  might  hail  him  as 
the  great  ambassador  to  the  republicans  of  the  West.  The  part 
played  by  the  church  in  this  great  meeting  was  indicated  by  a 
cedar  cross  which  was  raised  on  the  banks  of  the  outlet  of  the 
great  lake,  Superior.  The  French  all  bowed  before  the  cross 
and  chanted  the  Vexilla  Regis. 

"The  banners  of  Heaven's  King  advance; 
The  mystery  of  the  cross  shines  forth." 

By  the  side  of  the  cross  another  cedar  column  was  planted 
which  bore  the  lilies  of  France.  Thus  were  united  the  faith  of 
the  church  and  the  power  of  the  government  for  the  saving  of 
souls  and  the  spread  of  French  dominion  in  the  New  World. 
"Yet  this  daring  ambition  of  the  servants  of  a  military  monarch 
was  doomed  to  leave  no  abiding  monument — this  echo  of  the 
middle  age  to  die  away." 

The  great  concourse  dispersed.  The  Indian  delegates  to  go  to 
their  several  tribes  to  report,  and  they  in  turn  to  pledge  anew 
their  allegiance  to  the  "Great  King."  The  missionaries  to  go  to 
their  several  stations  to  reconsecrate  themselves  to  the  task  of 
winning  an  indifferent  race  to  an  allegiance  to  a  Greater  King. 
The  agents  and  the  soldiers  of  the  King  to  go  to  Quebec,  where 
they  might  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  official  favor,  and  to  await 
the  plaudits  of  an  indulgent  government.  Thus  ended  a  simple 
incident,  but  one  of  far-reaching  importance.  The  work  of  the 
French  Government  was  just  begun  and  greater  problems  were 
to  be  solved  and  great  national  consequences  were  at  stake. 

Father  James  Marquette,  who  had  played  no  small  part  in 
the  West  since  his  arrival,  gathered  about  him  the  remnants  of 
a  former  prosperous  Huron  tribe  and  founded  a  mission  where 
the  waters  from  Lake  Michigan  pass  through  the  narrow  con- 
fines of  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.    The  place  was  called  St.  Ignace 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  69 

and  is  said  to  have  been  on  the  north  side  of  the  water  passage. 
The  mission  was  called  St.  Ignace  in  honor  of  Saint  Ignatius,  a 
bishop  in  the  church  of  the  early  part  of  the  second  century. 
Here  he  ministered  to  the  Hurons  and  members  of  other  tribes 
who  might  pass  that  way.  But  he  longed  to  go  to  the  Illinois 
country  and  to  sail  upon  the  great  river  he  had  heard  so  much 
about.    His  wish  will  shortly  be  granted. 

The  King  and  his  minister,  Colbert,  were  well  informed  as  to 
the  possibilities  of  this  Western  country.  M.  Talon,  the  in- 
tendant  of  New  France,  wrote  an  extended  letter  to  Colbert  as 
early  as  1665,  in  which  he  describes  the  western  part  of  Canada 
as  the  home  of  divers  nations  rich  in  furs.  He  speaks  of  the 
Southern  peoples  as  being  rich  in  other  commodities.  He  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  if  the  French  do  not  know  as  much 
about  the  Southern  nations  as  they  do  of  the  Northern  tribes,  it 
is  because  the  Mohawks  have  prevented  the  French  missionaries 
and  traders  from  going  into  the  Southern  country.  In  the 
''Jesuit  Relations"  of  1668-9,  Father  Marquette  says:  "When 
the  Illinois  come  (to  trade  at)  the  Point  (Point  St.  Esprit),  they 
pass  a  great  river  which  is  almost  a  league  in  width.  It  flows 
from  north  to  south  and  to  so  great  a  distance  that  the  Illinois, 
who  know  nothing  of  the  use  of  the  canoe,  have  never  as  yet 
heard  of  its  mouth."  Father  Marquette  expressed  the  hope  that 
the  means  to  "visit  the  nations  who  dwell  along  its  shores  in 
order  to  open  the  way  to  the  many  of  our  Fathers  who  were 
awaiting  so  great  an  opportunity,"  would  soon  present  itself. 
This  river  which  is  spoken  of  in  their  relations  was  what  we  call 
the  Mississippi.  It  is  said  by  a  scholarly  writer  that  the  word 
comes  from  "Mechah"  (big)  and  seebee  (river)  in  the  Ojibway 
language. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER 

Louis  Joliet — Father  Marquette — The  Journey  to  the 
Mississippi — The  Piasa  Bird — The  Return  Journey — 
Mission   of   the    Immaculate    Conception — Death    of 

Marquette 

The  interest  in  the  great  river  grew  till,  in  1672,  M.  Jean 
Talon,  who  was  getting  ready  to  leave  New  France,  made  plans 
for  sending  a  representative  of  the  government  into  the  Illinois 
country  in  order  to  find  more  particularly  whether  the  river 
flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  or  into  the  Gulf  of  California. 
The  new  governor  of  Canada,  or  New  France,  was  Count  Fon- 
tenac.  He  had  superseded  Courcelles,  who  was  returning  to 
France  on  account  of  ill  health.  Frontenac  readily  adopted  the 
plans  which  Courcelles  and  Talon  had  worked  out  for  the  expedi- 
tion to  the  Illinois  country. 

Louis  Joliet 

Louis  Joliet  was  a  native  of  New  France  and  had  received 
excellent  training  in  the  Jesuit  schools  of  Quebec.  He  had 
studied  for  the  priesthood,  but  liking  travel  and  exploration,  he 
gave  up  the  clerical  studies  and  entered  upon  a  very  active  life 
of  secular  work.  When  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  he  had 
made  a  trip  to  the  Lake  Superior  region  in  search  of  copper 
mines.  On  his  return  he  ventured  to  sail  on  the  waters  of  Lake 
Erie.  He  was  widely  known  as  a  voyageur.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  dialects  of  the  various  Indian  tribes  and  was  a  man 
of  rather  unusual  attainments. 

It  fell  out,  therefore,  that  Joliet  was  selected  by  M.  Talon 
and  Governor  Frontenac  to  go  on  this  expedition  of  discovery 
and  exploration.  But  the  government  of  France  had  another 
purpose  in  sending  an  expedition  into  the  Illinois  country.  The 
conversion  of  the  Indians  was  a  prime  object  on  the  part  of  the 
government.  It  was  therefore  very  appropriate  that  Joliet 
should  have  some  cleric  with  him  on  this  journey.  Father 
Claude  J.  Dablon,  the  Father  Superior  of  the  Jesuit  Missions, 
was  informed  of  the  plans  of  the  governor  of  New  France.  The 
Father  Superior,  when  fully  informed  of  the  purpose  of  the  visit 
to  the  Illinois  country,  selected  with  rare  good  judgment  Father 
James  Marquette,  who  at  that  time  was  at  his  mission  of  St. 
Ignace. 

70 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


71 


Father  Marquette 

Father  Marquette  had  long  contemplated  a  visit  to  the  Illinois 
country.  We  have  previously  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  he 
had  learned  the  Illinois  tongue  in  order  that  he  might  some  day 
be  able  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  natives  in  Illinois.  It  appears 
that  Father  Marquette  never  applied  to  his  Superior  for  per- 
mission to  travel  in  this  country.  Had  he  done  so,  it  is  very 
likely  that  to  him  alone  would  have  come  the  glory  of  discovery 
and  exploration  of  the  Mississippi.  Section  I  of  the  Shea  trans- 
lations of  the  "Relations"  gives  an  extract  from  the  diary  of 
Father  Marquette  relative  to  his  desire  to  go  on  a  trip  to  the 
Illinois  country.     It  reads :     "The  day  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 


's 


JOLIET 


MARQUETTE 


ception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  whom  I  had  always  invoked  since 
I  have  been  in  this  Ottawa  Country,  to  obtain  of  God  the  grace 
to  be  able  to  visit  the  nations  on  the  River  Missisipi,  was  iden- 
tically that  on  which  M.  Jollyet  arrived  with  orders  of  the  Comte 
de  Frontenac,  our  Governor,  and  M.  Talon,  our  Intendant,  to 
make  this  discovery  with  me.  I  was  the  more  enraptured  at  this 
good  news,  as  I  saw  my  designs  on  the  point  of  being  accom- 
plished and  myself  in  the  happy  necessity  of  exposing  my  life  for 
the  salvations  of  all  these  nations,  and  particularly  for  the  Illi- 
nois, who  had,  when  I  was  at  Lapointe  du  St.  Esprit,  very 
earnestly  entreated  me  to  carry  the  word  of  God  to  their 
country." 

Joliet  was  directed  by  Frontenac  to  proceed  into  the  West  and 
join  himself  to  Father  Marquette  and  make  preparations  for  the 
journey.    He  left  Quebec  with  his  commission  from  the  governor 


72  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

in  the  fall  of  1672.  He  arrived  at  Mackinac  on  December  8,  the 
day  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Here 
he  remained  over  the  winter  of  1672-3.  In  the  spring  the 
arrangements  were  completed  for  the  journey.  These  it  seems 
after  all  were  very  simple. 

Five  voyageurs  were  engaged  for  the  journey.  Two  bark 
canoes,  with  a  rather  limited  supply  of  Indian  corn  and  some 
dried  meat.  This  indeed  looks  like  a  scanty  supply  for  seven 
men  who  expected  to  be  gone  all  summer. 

The  Journey  to  the  Mississippi 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  this  flotilla  of  two  canoes  and  seven 
men  pushed  out  of  the  harbor  of  St.  Ignace.  They  carried  charts 
and  maps  which  they  had  constructed  from  the  descriptions  they 
had  obtained  from  Indians  who  had  been  in  the  Illinois  Country 
Marquette  says  they  sketched  the  course  of  the  Mississippi,  its 
branches,  the  lands  through  which  it  runs,  and  located  the 
various  Indian  tribes  through  whose  lands  they  would  sail. 

Their  course  was  westward  and  south  along  the  west  side  of 
the  present  Lake  Michigan  till  they  reached  Green  Bay.  Here 
they  turned  into  the  bay  with  the  expectation  of  reaching  the 
Mississippi  through  the  Fox  River,  Wisconsin  River,  and  a 
short  portage.  They  held  conferences  with  the  Menominee,  who 
were  known  by  the  name  of  Wild  Oats.  They  spent  three  days 
here  and  then  proceeded  on  their  way.  They  stopped  with  other 
tribes,  portaged  from  the  Fox  to  the  Wisconsin,  and  paddled 
down  the  Wisconsin. 

Marquette  gives  a  detailed  description  of  the  mouth  of  Fox 
River.  He  described  it  as  a  beautiful  stream.  Describes  the 
animal  and  bird  life.  Says  the  presence  of  birds  is  accounted 
for  by  the  presence  of  an  abundance  of  wild  oats  which  grow 
along  the  banks  of  Green  Bay.  As  they  passed  up  Fox  River 
they  came  to  a  considerable  town  made  up  of  Miamis,  Maskou- 
tins,  and  Kickapoos.  In  this  town  they  found  a  beautiful  cross. 
To  it  were  attached  skins,  bells,  bows  and  arrows.  The  town 
was  beautifully  situated  and  all  about  it  were  groves  of  timber 
or  patches  of  prairie. 

Father  Marquette  knew  he  was  near  the  divide  between  the 
two  drainage  systems — one  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  other  into 
the  Mississippi.  He  asked  for  two  guides  who  should  go  with 
them  over  the  portage.  The  Indians  tried  to  dissuade  them 
from  their  intention  to  go  on  to  the  great  river.  But  they  were 
told  that  their  course  was  determined.  Two  guides  helped  the 
Frenchmen  over  the  portage  between  the  Fox  River  and  the 
Wisconsin.  Marquette  says,  "I  put  the  expedition  under  the 
protection  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Immaculate,  promising  her  that 
if  she  did  us  the  grace  to  discover  the  great  river,  I  would  give 
it  the  name  of  Conception ;  and  that  I  would  also  give  that  name 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  73 

to  the  first  mission  which  I  should  establish  among  these  new 
nations,  as  I  have  actually  done  among  the  Illinois." 

Before  embarking  on  the  Wisconsin  they  all  made  their  devo- 
tions to  the  Virgin,  which  they  were  careful  to  do  each  day  of 
their  journey.  The  voyage  down  the  Wisconsin  was  without 
incident,  except  at  one  place  they  examined  the  banks  for  the 
presence  of  iron  which  they  claimed  they  found  in  abundance. 
They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  and  the  broad  Mis- 
sissippi on  the  17th  of  June,  just  one  month  from  the  day  they 
left  St.  Ignace.  The  sight  of  the  great  river  filled  them  with  a 
joy  inexpressible. 

Marquette  gives  a  very  detailed  account  of  the  river,  the  land 
on  each  side,  the  animal  life  and  the  life  in  the  river.  The  buffalo 
was  a  new  animal  to  them,  and  some  of  the  fishes  they  found  in 
the  river  were  strange.  On  June  25th  they  found  themselves 
near  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Keokuk,  Iowa.  Here  they 
discovered  footprints,  and  a  path  leading  into  the  prairie.  Mar- 
quette and  Joliet  left  their  canoes  with  the  five  voyageurs  and 
went  into  the  prairie,  where  they  found  a  village  of  Indians. 
Four  old  Indians  carrying  tobacco-pipes  came  out  to  welcome 
them.  Marquette  spoke  to  them  and  they  replied  that  they  were 
Illinois  and  presented  the  pipes  of  peace.  The  two  Frenchmen 
visited  the  tent  of  the  great  chief,  where  they  exchanged  greet- 
ings and  made  speeches.  These  Illinois  Indians  did  their  best 
to  dissuade  the  Frenchmen  from  going  further  down  the  river. 
The  Illinois  set  a  feast,  to  which  the  Frenchmen  were  invited. 
Marquette  says  he  and  Joliet  partook  of  all  the  dishes  except 
the  one  which  consisted  of  dog  meat.  The  Frenchmen  visited 
the  village  of  some  three  hundred  cabins  and  remained  that 
night  as  the  guests  of  the  grand  sachem.  On  the  morrow  the 
visitors  were  accompanied  to  their  boats  by  as  many  as  six 
hundred  Indians,  who  bade  them  adieu  and  bon  voyage. 

The  Piasa  Bird 

From  here  the  Frenchmen  went  on  down  the  Mississippi. 
Marquette  gives  very  careful  description  of  the  vegetables  he 
sees  along  the  way.  As  they  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois 
River  they  were  impressed  with  the  high  bluffs  on  the  Illinois 
side.  On  one  of  these  some  miles  above  what  is  now  Alton, 
Illinois,  they  saw  what  came  to  be  a  well-known  object  in  this 
state,  representations  of  the  Great  Piasa  Bird.  Of  this  object 
Marquette  says :  "As  we  coasted  along  rocks,  frightful  for  their 
height  and  length,  we  saw  two  monsters  painted  on  these  rocks, 
which  startled  us  at  first,  and  on  which  the  boldest  Indians  dare 
not  gaze  long.  They  are  as  large  as  a  calf,  with  horns  on  the 
head  like  a  deer,  a  fearful  look,  red  eyes,  bearded  like  a  tiger, 
the  face  somewhat  like  a  man's,  the  body  covered  with  scales, 
and  the  tail  so  long  that  it  twice  makes  the  turn  of  the  body, 


74 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


passing  over  the  head  and  down  between  the  legs,  and  ending 
at  last  in  a  fish's  tail.  Green,  red,  and  a  kind  of  black  are  the 
colors  employed.  On  the  whole,  these  two  monsters  are  so  well 
painted  that  we  could  not  believe  any  Indian  to  have  been  the 
designer,  as  good  painters  in  France  would  find  it  hard  to  do  as 
well ;  besides  this,  they  are  so  high  upon  the  rock  that  it  is  hard 
to  get  conveniently  at  them  to  paint  them.  This  is  pretty  nearly 
the  figure  of  these  monsters,  as  I  drew  them  off." 

In  an  early  day  in  that  part  of  Illinois  north  and  east  of  the 
locality  of  the  Piasa  Bird,  there  was  a  tradition  which  came 
from  the  Indians  to  the  effect  that  once  there  lived  a  great 
monster  in  a  cave  at  this  place.  The  tradition  ran  that  this 
monster  was  a  hideous  creature  with  wings,  and  great  claws,  and 
teeth.    It  was  accustomed  to  devour  every  living  creature  which 


THE    PIASA    BIRD 


came  within  its  reach ;  men,  women,  children,  and  animals  of  all 
kinds.  The  Indians  had  suffered  great  loss  of  their  people  from 
the  ravages  of  this  monster  and  a  council  of  war  was  held  to 
devise  some  means  by  which  his  career  might  be  ended.  Among 
other  schemes  for  his  extermination  was  a  proposition  by  a 
certain  young  warrior  to  the  effect  that  upon  the  departure  of 
the  beast  on  one  of  his  long  flights  for  food  that  he  would 
volunteer  to  be  securely  tied  to  stakes  on  the  ledge  in  front  of 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  that  a  sufficient  number  of  other 
warriors  of  the  tribe  should  be  stationed  near  with  their  poisoned 
arrows  so  that  when  the  monster  bird  should  return  from  his 
flight  and  should  attack  the  bound  warrior,  the  concealed  com- 
panions might  slay  him  with  their  poisoned  arrows. 

The  proposition  of  the  young  warrior  was  accepted  by  the 
other  members  of  the  tribe,  and  on  a  certain  day  the  bird  took 
his  habitual  flight.    The  young  warrior  who  offered  to  sacrifice 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  75 

his  life  was  securely  bound  to  strong  stakes  in  front  of  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  where  the  beast  had  his  den.  The  warriors  who  were 
to  slay  the  beast  were  all  hidden  in  the  rocks  and  shrubs  nearby. 
In  the  afternoon  the  monster  was  seen  returning  from  his  long 
journey.  Upon  alighting  near  the  cave,  he  discovered  the  young 
Indian  and  immediately  attacked,  fastening  his  claws  and  teeth 
in  his  body.  The  thongs  held  the  Indian  securely  and  the  more 
the  monster  strove  to  escape  with  his  prey,  the  more  his  claws 
became  entangled  in  the  thongs. 

At  a  concerted  moment  the  warriors  all  about  opened  upon 
the  monster  with  their  poisoned  arrows,  and  before  the  beast 
could  extricate  himself  his  life  blood  was  ebbing,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  he  lay  dead  before  them. 

The  story  further  runs  that  the  Indians  took  the  monster  and 
stretched  him  in  front  of  the  high,  smooth  bluff  and  there 
marked  out  his  form ;  they  afterwards  painted  this  outline  in  the 
colors  which  Father  Marquette  says  he  saw  on  his  journey  down 
the  river.  An  order  went  forth  that  each  brave  as  he  went  up 
or  down  the  river  should  discharge  at  least  one  arrow  at  the 
painting.  This  the  Indians  continued  to  do.  When  the  Euro- 
peans had  supplied  the  Indians  with  firearms,  they  continued  to 
shoot  at  least  once  at  the  image  in  passing. 

This  story,  which  was  current  in  Western  Illinois  in  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  has  been  greatly  discounted 
by  many  writers.  Judge  Joseph  Gillespie,  of  Edwardsville,  was 
a  man  whom  Illinois  has  greatly  honored.  He  visited  the  bluffs 
where  the  Piasa  Bird  was  supposed  to  be  in  1833,  and  he  says 
that  he  did  not  see  anything  that  made  him  think  that  it  was 
intended  to  represent  a  bird.  He  thought  the  coloring  matter 
may  have  been  exudations  from  the  crevices  of  the  rocks,  and 
may  have  so  spread  over  the  face  of  the  bluff  as  to  resemble  a 
birdlike  monster  to  impressionable  people.  He  further  says: 
"I  did  see  the  marks  of  the  bullets  shot  by  the  Indians  against 
the  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  so-called  picture.  The  object  of 
shooting  at  this  I  never  could  comprehend." 

Judge  Gillespie  thinks  the  whole  story  originated  with  Prof. 
John  Russell  of  Bluff  Dale,  in  Greene  County.  Professor  Russell 
was  a  resident  of  Illinois  at  an  early  date,  but  earlier  lived  in 
Eastern  Missouri,  probably  as  early  as  1818  or  1820.  He  was  a 
writer  of  considerable  note  and  published  a  number  of  books. 
He  was  around  Alton  as  early  as  1820  and  may  have  started 
the  story  of  how  the  Indians  killed  the  monster. 

We  left  Marquette  and  Joliet  at  the  bluffs  above  Alton.  Mar- 
quette describes  the  condition  of  things  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  River.  As  they  approached  the  junction  of  that  stream 
with  the  Mississippi  they  observed  great  trees,  or,  as  he  calls 
them,  floating  islands,  coming  down  the  Missouri  River.  The 
noise  these  floating  forests  made  was  frightful,  and  indeed  the 


76  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

presence  of  these  floating  trees  was  a  danger  which  Marquette 
and  his  party  were  wise  in  avoiding.  They  next  came  to  a 
monster  rock  in  the  Mississippi  which  came  to  be  known  as 
Grand  Tower  rock.  This  large  tower  rock  still  causes  a  com- 
motion in  the  waters,  and  is  dangerous  to  small  craft,  but  it 
would  appear  that  Marquette  and  the  Indians  exaggerated  the 
importance  of  this  rock  as  an  obstruction  to  navigate.  The 
rock  is  near  the  Missouri  side  of  the  river,  opposite  the  Village 
of  Grand  Tower,  in  Jackson  County. 

The  exploring  party  moved  southward  along  the  western 
boundary  of  Illinois  till  it  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River. 
Somewhere  either  above  or  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  they 
discovered  a  very  pronounced  deposit  of  iron.  They  also  found 
a  sort  of  clay  of  various  colors,  purple,  violet,  red ;  also  some  red 
earth  or  sand  which  stained  their  oars.  As  they  moved  south 
they  came  into  the  swampy  lands  of  Arkansas  and  were  greatly 
disturbed  by  the  mosquitoes.  They  also  came  into  a  land  whose 
inhabitants  had  guns  and  axes,  hoes,  knives,  beads,  and  glass 
bottles;  in  the  bottles  they  kept  their  powder.  Further  down 
the  river  they  stopped  with  some  Indians  with  whom  it  was 
difficult  to  hold  conversation.  They  were  the  Michigamies.  Mar- 
quette says  he  spoke  six  languages  but  they  did  not  understand 
one  of  them.  At  last  an  old  man  who  could  speak  a  little  of  the 
Illinois  language  was  found,  and  through  him  Marquette  was 
able  to  hold  conversation  with  these  natives.  Marquette  and  his 
party  remained  over  night  with  these  Indians.  When  ready  to 
go  the  next  morning,  they  were  told  there  was  a  tribe  or  village 
down  the  river  called  Akamsea  (Arkansas)  who  could  tell  them 
all  about  the  sea  and  the  distance  to  it. 

The  Return  Journey 

They  found  these  Indians  somewhere  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas  River.  Here  Marquette  and  his  party  were  well  re- 
ceived, and  acquired  considerable  information  about  the  country 
and  the  distance  to  the  sea  (Gulf  of  Mexico).  Marquette  and 
Joliet  held  a  council  and  decided  that  they  had  settled  the  fact 
that  the  Mississippi  River  did  not  flow  into  the  Pacific  nor  into 
the  Atlantic  in  the  territory  of  Virginia,  but  that  it  flowed  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  They  also  agreed  that  there  would  be  danger 
of  war  with  the  Indians  who  lived  further  south.  When  they 
had  agreed  to  go  no  further  south,  they  notified  the  Indians, 
who  were  greatly  pleased,  for  they  knew  something  of  the 
dangers  which  lurked  along  the  lower  Mississippi. 

The  voyagers  started  on  their  return  journey  the  17th  of  July, 
two  months  from  the  time  they  left  St.  Ignace.  They  found 
the  stream  difficult  to  navigate  on  account  of  the  opposition  of  a 
strong  current.  When  they  approached  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois 
River,  they  were  told  that  the  distance  to  Lake  Michigan  was 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  77 

much  shorter  up  the  Illinois  River  than  by  way  of  the  Wisconsin 
and  the  Fox  rivers.  Accordingly,  they  ascended  the  Illinois 
River.  Marquette  was  somewhat  weakened  by  the  long  journey 
and  in  poor  health,  and  it  was  now  his  desire  to  return  to  his 
mission  as  quickly  as  they  could.  They  were  greatly  pleased 
with  the  country  through  which  they  traveled.  The  placid 
waters,  the  picturesque  bluffs,  the  expansive  prairies,  the  beauti- 
ful timber,  and  the  abundance  of  game  of  all  kinds  was  a  great 
inspiration  to  their  tired  spirits. 

They  traversed  this  river  with  little  of  the  unusual.  At  what 
is  now  Peoria  they  found  a  village  of  Illinois  Indians.  Here  they 
remained  some  days,  while  Father  Marquette  preached  to  the 
people.  As  he  was  leaving  he  baptized  an  infant  which  was 
thought  to  be  at  the  point  of  death.  As  they  proceeded  up  the 
Illinois  River  they  came  to  the  village  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians. 
The  village  was  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  modern  town 
of  Utica,  some  nine  miles  below  Ottawa,  LaSalle  County.  There 
were  seventy-four  cabins  in  the  village.  The  natives  were  well 
disposed  toward  Father  Marquette  and  his  party.  Marquette 
preached  to  them  and  they  were  so  deeply  interested  in  him  and 
his  story  of  the  Gospel  that  they  made  him  promise  to  return  to 
them  and  tell  more  of  the  story  of  the  cross.  So  well  pleased 
were  the  natives  that  they  furnished  an  escort  of  a  chief  and 
several  young  men  to  accompany  Marquette  and  his  party  to  the 
Chicago  portage.  From  here  they  made  their  way  by  easy  stages 
to  the  mission  at  Green  Bay,  where  they  arrived  in  September, 
1673. 

Father  Marquette  remained  at  the  Mission  of  St.  Francois 
Xavier,  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay,  during  the  winter  of  1673-4, 
and  also  through  the  summer  of  1674.  Joliet  also  remained  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  western  lakes  till  the  late  summer  of  1674. 
In  August  of  that  year  he  reported  to  the  governor  of  New 
France  at  Quebec.  Here  he  gave  only  a  verbal  report  of  the 
expedition  into  the  Illinois  country.  When  he  left  Green  Bay, 
in  the  summer  of  1674,  he  traveled  by  boat  toward  Quebec. 
When  approaching  Quebec  his  boat  was  upset  and  he  and  some 
companions  saved  their  lives,  but  lost  everything  else — maps, 
notes,  and  specimens.  Some  maps,  however,  were  left  in  the 
West  and  they  were  afterwards  identified.  Joliet,  after  report- 
ing to  the  governor,  proceeded  to  France,  where  he  was  received 
with  great  favor  and  afterwards  sent  on  a  mission  to  Central 
America. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1674,  Father  Marquette  determined  to 
redeem  his  promise  to  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  that  he  would 
return  to  them  and  tell  them  more  about  the  Savior  of  the  world. 
Father  Marquette  has  left  very  brief  notes  of  his  movements  in 
the  winter  and  spring  of  1674-5,  and  from  them  we  may  give 
the  following  story:  On  October  27,  1674,  in  company  with  two 


78  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Frenchmen  called  Pierre  Porteret  and  Jacques  LeCastor,  he  left 
the  Mission  of  St.  Francois  Xavier,  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay, 
to  go  to  the  Kaskaskia  village,  on  the  Illinois  River,  some  eight 
or  ten  miles  below  Ottawa.  Apparently  without  Father  Mar- 
quette's knowledge,  five  canoes  full  of  Pottawattomi  and  four 
canoes  full  of  Illinois  Indians  had  started  ahead  of  him  en  route 
to  the  Illinois.  The  two  canoes  of  Indians  were  overtaken  on 
the  way  down  the  west  side  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  weather 
was  so  stormy  that  the  company  made  little  headway,  often 
having  to  stay  five  days  at  a  time  in  one  place  because  of  storms 
or  other  weather  conditions.  On  November  21,  1674,  Marquette 
made  note  of  the  fact  that  he  has  a  return  of  his  old  malady, 
dysentery.  In  the  notes  which  he  records  from  time  to  time, 
he  often  refers  to  the  fact  that  he  was  able  to  say  mass.  They 
reached  Chicago  River  on  December  4,  1674.  There  they  built 
some  cabins  and  made  themselves  comfortable.  Here  they 
planned  to  stay  until  spring.  During  the  winter  there  was  much 
passing  to  and  fro  up  and  down  the  Chicago  River.  The  Illinois 
Indians  who  had  come  with  him  from  Green  Bay  left  him  on  the 
15th  of  December.  On  this  date  he  also  complains  of  much 
suffering  from  the  dysentery. 

The  winter  which  Father  Marquette  spent  in  Chicago  was  a 
long,  severe  one,  and  we  might  conclude  that  a  very  sick  man 
would  suffer  from  cold,  an  improper  kind  and  amount  of  food, 
and  from  inattention.  But  we  have  it  on  very  good  authority 
that  the  was  tenderly  cared  for,  and  that  many  Indians  in  pass- 
ing ministered  to  him,  and  that  at  least  a  few  Frenchmen  paid 
him  comforting  visits.  Marquette  says  disquieting  news  came 
to  him  by  the  mouth  of  Jacques,  who  had  returned  from  the 
village  of  the  Illinois.  It  was  that  the  Indians  there  were  at 
the  point  of  starvation  on  account  of  the  severe  weather,  which 
had  prevented  them  from  going  on  their  winter  hunt.  This 
village  was  only  about  six  leagues,  or  probably  eighteen  or 
twenty  miles  distant.  Of  the  two  Frenchmen  who  came  to  see 
Marquette,  one  was  a  physician.  He  brought  food  and  other- 
wise ministered  to  Father  Marquette. 

On  the  9th  of  February  Father  Marquette  mentions  the  fact 
that  he  is  in  much  better  health  and  is  only  awaiting  better 
weather  conditions  that  he  might  proceed  on  his  journey  to  the 
village  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians.  On  February  20th  he  reports 
having  killed  several  deer,  and  remarks  that  they  were  so  lean 
that  they  were  obliged  to  leave  the  carcass  on  the  lake  shore.  He 
also  says  that  the  partridges  are  plentiful  and  very  choice  eating, 
but  not  so  good  as  the  French  partridges. 

Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 

On  the  30th  of  March  he  records  that  the  ice  was  breaking 
up  and  the  waters  had  risen  so  much  that  one  night  they  were 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  79 

obliged  to  seek  safety  on  a  hillock  of  sand.  On  this  day  the  little 
band  made  a  start  for  the  Kaskaskia  village.  The  route  was  up 
the  south  branch  of  the  Chicago  River,  and  across  the  portage 
to  the  Des  Plaines  River.  On  the  30th  of  March  they  crossed 
the  portage  and  hoped  to  reach  the  Indian  village  in  a  few  days. 
They  made  the  trip  without  incident  and  reached  the  village  on 
April  8th,  1675. 

He  was  received  with  great  honor,  as  "an  angel  from  Heaven." 
Five  hundred  chiefs  and  elders  of  the  tribes  gathered  about  him 
in  a  circle,  and  beyond  this  inner  circle  was  an  outer  circle  of  the 
common  people  to  the  number  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  women, 
and  children.  Father  Marquette  must  have  felt  that  this  was 
the  happiest  moment  of  his  life.  He  spoke  with  deep  religious 
feeling,  intensified  by  the  fact  that  he  felt  his  own  end  was 
approaching.  On  the  11th  of  April,  1675,  Father  Marquette 
founded  and  established  a  mission  there  under  the  title  of  "The 
Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin."  He  remained 
but  a  few  days,  for  he  was  desirous  of  reaching  St.  Ignace  before 
the  end  should  come.  A  great  number  of  chiefs  and  warriors 
accompanied  him  to  the  Chicago  portage  and  to  the  lake.  They 
vied  with  one  another  to  carry  his  baggage  and  to  render  him 
assistance.    At  the  lake  they  bade  him  an  affectionate  farewell. 

Death  of  Father  Marquette 

The  company  had  now  been  reduced  to  Father  Marquette, 
Pierre,  and  Jacques.  The  route  selected  was  by  way  of  the 
southerly  bend  of  Lake  Michigan  and  along  its  eastern  shore. 
His  strength  gradually  failed  him  and  he  begged  his  young  men 
to  carry  him  ashore  that  he  might  die  quietly  on  land  and  thus 
escape  death  in  a  great  storm  which  was  then  gathering  upon 
the  troubled  waters  of  the  great  lake.  The  two  young  French- 
men took  the  dying  man  ashore,  the  exact  spot  is  in  dispute,  but 
the  evidence  appears  to  favor  the  place  now  occupied  by  the  City 
of  Ludington,  on  an  inlet  from  Lake  Michigan  known  since  as 
Pere  Marquette  Lake,  which  is  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream 
called  Pere  Marquette  River.  Here  a  few  years  ago  some  inter- 
ested friends  erected  a  pretentious  monument  to  mark  the  spot 
where  Father  Marquette  is  supposed  to  have  died. 

Father  Marquette  had  given  the  two  young  men  explicit  direc- 
tions as  to  his  burial.  They  followed  these,  and  after  erecting  a 
cross  to  mark  his  final  resting  place,  they  continued  their  journey 
to  St.  Ignace  with  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  its  founder.  In 
the  spring  of  1676  the  Ottawas  of  Canada  were  returning  from  a 
hunting  expedition  in  Southern  Michigan.  As  they  passed  the 
grave  of  Marquette,  they  took  up  the  remains,  separated  the 
bones  from  the  decayed  flesh,  put  them  in  a  bark  basket,  and 
safely  carried  them  to  St.  Ignace,  where  they  were  buried  under 
the  church  which  he  had  built  there. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DEFEATS  AND  TRIUMPHS  OF  LA  SALLE 

His  Post  at  Lachine — Fort  Frontenac — Letters  Patent — 
The  Griffin — Fort  Miami — Kaskaskia — Peoria — Creve- 
coeur — Hennepin  Exposition — La  Salle  in  New  France 
— Tonti's  Trials. 

Robert  Cavalier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  is  regarded  by  many  as 
the  greatest  character  in  the  annals  of  French  history  in 
America.  He  was  born  at  Rouen  in  France,  November  22,  1643. 
He  was  educated  by  the  Jesuits,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
he  severed  his  connection  with  that  order  and  next  came  to 
Canada.  He  was  in  need  of  entering  into  some  profitable  busi- 
ness as  he  had  renounced  all  his  wealth  when  he  joined  the  order 
of  Jesuits. 

Defeats  and  Triumphs  of  La  Salle 

He  first  located  as  a  fur  trader  on  the  St.  Lawrence  above 
Montreal  where  he  prospered.  He  was  on  good  terms  with  Jean 
Talon,  the  intendant  of  New  France.  He  was  encouraged  by 
Talon  to  go  on  exploring  expeditions  during  which  he  explored 
Lake  Ontario  and  went  as  far  as  Lake  Erie.  While  living  at  his 
fur  trading  station  called  Lachine,  he  heard  of  the  Mississippi 
and  thought  it  might  lead  to  China.  In  July,  1669,  he  embarked 
on  his  first  voyage  into  the  far  west.  He  was  accompanied  by 
two  priests,  De  Galinee  and  D'Ollier.  But  at  the  west  end  of 
Lake  Ontario  he  disagreed  with  the  two  priests  and  they  sep- 
arated. For  the  next  two  years  he  was  occupied  in  discoveries 
and  explorations.  During  these  two  years  he  was  often  by 
himself  in  his  work  and  at  other  times  he  was  accompanied  by 
Frenchmen  or  Indians. 

A  wooden  fort  had  been  built  by  Count  de  Frontenac  at  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Ontario,  where  Kingston  now  stands.  The  fort 
was  not  well  cared  for  and  was  of  little  or  no  value  to  the  Gov- 
ernment. The  strategic  value  of  the  position  was  well  under- 
stood by  La  Salle  and  by  Count  de  Frontenac.  In  1674  La  Salle 
went  to  France  to  ask  the  King  for  a  grant  of  land  about  the 
fort.  He  took  a  glowing  account  of  the  country  to  the  King 
and  this  report  was  confirmed  by  a  letter  from  M.  Talon  in 
which  he  says  that  it  is  possible  to  surround  the  English  colonies 
along  the  Atlantic  coast.  "Measures  adopted  to  confine  them 
within  narrow  limits  by  taking  possession  which  I  have  caused 
to  be  effected  do  not  allow  them  to  spread." 

80 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  81 


Fort  Frontenac 

La  Salle  presented  his  case  to  the  King  through  the  great  Col- 
bert and  created  a  favorable  impression  upon  the  French  King. 
He  made  bold  to  ask  for  the  gift  of  the  fort  at  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Ontario  together  with  a  grant  of  land  of  large  area.  The  King 
yielded  to  his  request  and  a  sort  of  contract  was  drawn  up 
which  indicated  the  conditions  under  which  La  Salle  should  hold 
the  fort.    They  are  briefly  as  follows : 

1.  La  Salle  agreed  to  repair  the  fort  and  keep  it  in  a  good 
state  of  defense ;  to  keep  a  garrison  there  at  all  times ;  clear  and 
till  the  soil;  provide  guns,  artillery,  ammunition,  etc. 


LA  SALLE 

2.  To  repay  Count  Frontenac  for  the  cost  of  the  fort,  since 
it  was  constructed  by  the  governor. 

3.  To  make  grants  of  land  to  the  settlers  who  came  there  to 
live,  and  to  give  them  all  rights  and  privileges  according  to  the 
edicts  of  the  Sovereign  Council  in  New  France. 

4.  To  attract  the  Indians  to  this  place ;  grant  them  lands,  in- 
struct them  in  trades  and  labor. 

5.  La  Salle  agreed  to  build  a  church,  and  to  maintain  two 
priests  who  should  minister  to  those  who  resided  at  that  point. 

6.  The  King  is  humbly  asked  to  give  La  Salle  a  title  of 
Nobility  in  recognition  of  the  seven  years  of  hard  work  he  had 
already  performed  in  New  France. 

The  King  fully  complied  with  the  prayer  of  La  Salle  and  made 
the  gift  of  the  fort  and  extensive  areas  around  it.  La  Salle 
hastened  to  New  France  to  take  charge  of  his  possessions.    Here 


82 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


for  two  or  three  years  he  governed  for  his  master  in  France. 
The  fort  he  rebuilt  of  stone,  extensive  grants  were  made  to 
Indians,  he  reared  great  herds  and  flocks,  and  the  Iroquois  sought 
his  protection.  Monks  carried  on  their  work  under  his  patron- 
age, vessels  were  built  and  great  success  attended  every  plan 
which  La  Salle  furthered. 

Just  at  this  time  Joliet  returning  from  his  journey  down 
the  Mississippi  passed  Fort  Frontenac  and  without  doubt  paid 
his  respects  to  the  rising  young  statesman.  Not  only  through 
the  report  of  Joliet,  but  through  the  warriors  of  the  Iroquois 
nation  with  whom  he  was  in  constant  communication,  he  gained 
a  glorious  picture  of  the  great  interior  which  awaited  the  coming 


MAP  SHOWING  THE  ROYAL  GRANT  TO  VIRGINIA,   CONNECTICUT  AND 

MASSACHUSETTS 


of  a  master.  He  decided  upon  an  expedition  into  this  country 
of  the  Illinois  that  the  banner  of  his  King  might  float  over  it 
from  the  Lakes  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  was  a  part  of  the  plan 
to  build  a  chain  of  forts  reaching  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  to  open  up  the  great  interior  to 
European  commerce  which  he  thought  would  quickly  reach 
important  proportions. 

Bancroft  says  La  Salle  had  given  hours  of  his  time  in  the 
solitude  of  upper  Canada  to  the  perusal  of  the  voyages  of  Colum- 
bus and  the  rambles  of  De  Soto,  and  that  his  imagination  was 
aflame.  To  this  was  added  the  continued  stories  that  came  to 
him  from  the  Indians  about  the  Ohio  river  and  the  lands  west 
of  the  Alleghanies.    Out  of  all  this  he  built  up  the  outlines  of  a 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  83 

great  political  and  commercial  empire  in  the  Southwest  and 
boldly  approached  his  King  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  out 
his  plans. 

Letters  Patent 

In  1678  he  went  the  second  time  to  France.  We  should  keep 
in  mind,  however,  that  he  has  the  warm  support  of  Courcelles 
and  Talon,  in  New  France  and  the  attentive  ear  of  Colbert  at 
the  French  court.  "Colbert  listened  with  delight  to  the  gigantic 
schemes  which  La  Salle  had  formed ;  and  at  the  special  instance 
of  Colbert's  eldest  son,  the  Marquis  de  Seignelay,  a  youth  of 
extraordinary  promise,  La  Salle  obtained  an  exclusive  monopoly 
in  buffalo  skins,  and  a  commission  from  the  King  to  explore  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi  in  Letters  Patent  as  follows : 

Letters  Patent 

Granted  by  the  King  of  France  to  the  Sieur  de  La  Salle,  on  the 
12th  of  May,  1678. 

Translation 

Louis,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of  France  and  of  Navarre. 
To  our  dear  and  well-beloved  Robert  Cavalier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle, 
greeting. 

We  have  received  with  favor  the  very  humble  petition,  which 
has  been  presented  to  us  in  your  name,  to  permit  you  to  endeavor 
to  discover  the  Western  part  of  our  country  of  New  France; 
and  we  have  consented  to  this  proposal  the  more  willingly,  be- 
cause there  is  nothing  we  have  more  at  heart  than  the  discovery 
of  this  country,  through  which  it  is  probable  that  a  passage 
may  be  found  to  Mexico ;  and  because  your  diligence  in  clearing 
the  lands  which  we  granted  to  you  by  decree  of  our  council  of 
the  13th  of  May,  1675,  and,  by  Letters  Patent  of  the  same  date, 
to  form  habitations  upon  the  said  lands,  and  to  put  Fort  Fronte- 
nac  in  good  state  of  defence,  the  seigniory  and  Government 
whereof  we  likewise  granted  to  you,  affords  us  every  reason  to 
hope  that  you  will  succeed  to  our  satisfaction,  and  to  the  advan- 
tage of  our  subjects  of  the  said  country. 

For  these  reasons,  and  others  thereunto  moving  us,  we  have 
permitted,  and  do  hereby  permit  you,  by  these  presents,  signed 
by  our  hand,  to  endeavor  to  discover  the  Western  part  of  our 
country  of  New  France,  and,  for  the  execution  of  this  enterprise, 
to  construct  forts  wherever  you  shall  deem  it  necessary;  which 
it  is  our  will  you  shall  hold  on  the  same  terms  and  conditions  as 
Fort  Frontenac,  agreeably  and  conformably  to  our  said  Letters 
Patent  of  the  13th  of  May,  1675,  which  we  have  confirmed,  as 
far  as  is  needful,  and  hereby  confirm  by  these  presents.  And  it 
is  our  pleasure  that  they  be  executed  according  to  their  form 
and  tenor. 


84  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

To  accomplish  this,  and  everything  above  mentioned,  we  give 
you  full  powers;  on  condition,  however,  that  you  shall  finish 
this  enterprise  within  five  years,  in  default  of  which  these 
presents  shall  be  void  and  of  none  effect;  that  you  carry  on  no 
trade  whatever  with  the  savages  called  Outauoacs,  and  others 
who  bring  their  beaver-skins  and  other  peltries  to  Montreal ; 
and  that  the  whole  shall  be  done  at  your  expense,  and  that  of 
your  company,  to  which  we  have  granted  the  privilege  of  trade 
in  buffalo-skins.  And  we  call  on  Sieur  de  Frontenac,  our  gov- 
ernor and  lieutenant-general,  and  on  the  Sieur  de  Chesneau, 
intendant  of  justice,  police  and  finance,  and  on  the  officers  who 
compose  the  supreme  council  in  the  said  country,  to  affix  their 
signatures  to  these  presents;  for  such  is  our  pleasure.  Given 
at  St.  Germain  en  Laye,  this  12th  day  of  May,  1678,  and  of  our 
reign  the  thirty-fifth. 

(Signed)  Louis. 

And  lower  down,  by  the  king, 
And  sealed  with  the  great  seal  of  yellow  wax  Colbert. 

The  act  of  the  governor,  attached  to  these,  is  dated  the  5th  of 
November,  1678. 

The  Patent  was  somewhat  modified  from  the  original  request, 
but  La  Salle  and  his  friends  thought  that  there  were  implications 
in  the  document  which  would  enable  him  to  carry  out  his  original 
intentions.  La  Salle  was  anxious  to  have  the  Patent  contain  a 
clause  authorizing  the  founding  of  settlements  in  the  Southwest, 
but  this  idea  was  not  favored  by  the  King,  as  he  thought  such 
enterprises  in  the  West  would  draw  off  too  many  of  his  subjects 
from  Canada — New  France. 

Now  that  he  was  clothed  with  almost  absolute  authority  in 
the  New  World  outside  of  New  France,  La  Salle  began  to  cast 
about  to  see  what  he  could  do  in  the  way  of  financing  his  great 
undertaking.  Different  friends  in  France  came  to  his  relief 
and  he  secured  the  sum  of  45,000  livres,  or  $9,000  in  our  present 
coinage.  When  he  returned  to  New  France,  Frontenac  arranged 
to  secure  for  him  an  additional  14,000  livres.  In  addition  to  all 
this,  his  "brothers  and  relations  spared  nothing  to  enable  him 
to  respond  worthily  to  the  royal  goodness,"  and  they  say  that 
within  five  years  they  have  advanced  to  La  Salle  the  sum  of 
500,000  livres.  If  we  are  to  credit  all  these  figures,  La  Salle's 
great  undertaking  cost  him  in  the  neighborhood  of  $112,000  in 
gold. 

La  Salle  while  in  Paris  had  the  warm  friendship  of  Colbert, 
the  King's  great  minister,  his  son,  the  Marquis  de  Seignelay, 
and  the  Prince  de  Conti,  one  of  the  most  prominent  military 
figures  in  France  at  this  time.  Among  men  of  lesser  note  was 
Abbe  Renandot  who  was  deeply  in  sympathy  with  La  Salle  and 
to  whom  he  introduced  Henri  de  Tonti,  an  Italian  officer  who 
had  gained  the  favor  of  Prince  de  Conti.    De  Tonti  was  induced 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  85 

to  cast  in  his  fortunes  with  La  Salle  and  with  his  help  the  latter 
began  to  gather  up  the  various  members  of  his  company  for  his 
return  to  New  France.  Carpenters,  shipwrights,  blacksmiths, 
sailors  and  common  laborers  were  secured;  while  large  quan- 
tities of  material  for  the  construction  of  ships,  mills,  and  shops 
were  collected. 

The  Griffin 

La  Salle  and  his  party  sailed  from  Rochelle  July  15,  1678,  and 
landed  at  Quebec  the  15th  of  September  following.  The  party 
remained  there  only  a  few  days  when,  formally  taking  leave  of 
Count  de  Frontenac,  they  sailed  for  Fort  Frontenac  at  the  outlet 
of  Lake  Ontario.  Here  they  remained  only  four  days  when  they 
proceeded  to  Niagara  Falls  to  select  a  site  for  the  building  of 
a  boat  for  the  navigation  of  the  upper  lakes.  The  place  selected 
was  at  the  mouth  of  Tonawanda  creek  half  way  between  Buffalo 
and  Niagara  Falls.  Here  the  workmen  built  a  ship  of  some 
sixty  tons  called  the  Griffin.  While  the  ship  was  under  construc- 
tion in  the  winter  of  1678-9,  Father  Louis  Hennepin  was  busy 
making  friends  with  the  Senecas — a  branch  of  the  Iroquois.  La 
Salle  had  sent  forward  some  of  his  men  to  Michillimacanac  with 
money  and  European  goods  with  orders  to  purchase  furs  of  the 
Indians  and  have  them  ready  when  the  Griffin  should  arrive. 
Following  several  weeks  later  went  Tonti  who  was  to  have  charge 
of  the  business  phase  of  the  trip  of  the  Griffin. 

The  ship  was  finished  and  ready  to  sail  on  the  7th  of  August, 
1679.  There  were  mounted  on  its  deck  two  small  brass  cannons 
and  three  arquebusses.  The  ship  sailed  westward  over  Lake 
Erie,  passed  Detroit  on  the  10th  and  there  took  on  Tonti  and 
his  party.  The  vessel  reached  Mackinaw  on  the  27th  of  August. 
Here  La  Salle  found  some  of  the  men  whom  he  had  sent  forward 
to  purchase  furs.  Others  of  the  party  had  gone  into  the  interior. 
Some  enemies  of  La  Salle  had  dissuaded  these  men  from  the 
work  which  they  had  been  sent  to  do.  They  were  told  that  La 
Salle  was  visionary  and  that  his  boat  would  never  get  to  Mack- 
inaw. This  was  discouraging,  but  Tonti  was  sent  into  the  in- 
terior to  hunt  up  these  men,  and  La  Salle  with  the  Griffin 
proceeded  to  Green  Bay  where  he  arrived  about  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember. 

At  Green  Bay  he  disposed  of  large  quantities  of  European 
goods  in  exchange  for  furs.  It  is  said  he  made  a  large  sum 
of  money  in  this  transaction — that  is  he  would  have  done  so  if 
his  ship  had  ever  gotten  back  to  Niagara  The  ship  with  its 
valuable  cargo  of  furs  was  dispatched  to  Niagara  while  La  Salle 
and  his  company  of  fourteen  proceeded  south  in  small  boats 
along  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  and  entered  the  St.  Joseph  River, 
November  1,  1679.  This  point  had  been  agreed  on  as  the  place 
where  Tonti  should  report  with  the  deserters  whom  he  had  been 


86  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

instructed  to  find  and  bring  into  the  presence  of  La  Salle.  At 
the  end  of  twenty  days  Tonti  appeared  but  he  did  not  have  all 
of  the  deserters.  He  was  sent  back  with  orders  to  bring  them 
to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph.  Not  being  able  on  account  of 
storms  to  reach  the  deserters  Tonti  returned  and  the  company 
made  ready  to  ascend  the  St.  Joseph  to  the  Kankakee  portage. 

Fort  Miami 

Before  leaving  the  mouth  of  the  River  St.  Joseph,  La  Salle 
built  a  chapel,  and  a  store  house  expecting  that  the  Griffin  would 
return  there  soon  with  goods  and  supplies  from  Niagara.  The 
company,  thirty-eight  in  all  in  eight  canoes  left  Fort  Miami 
the  third  of  December.  La  Salle  hung  letters  on  the  trees  hoping 
they  would  be  found  by  the  captain  of  the  Griffin  when  it  should 
return.  The  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  portage  was  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood  of  South  Bend,  Indiana.  When  they  reached  this 
place  there  was  some  trouble  in  finding  the  portage,  but  the 
faithful  Mohegan  guide  coming  to  their  rescue,  the  company 
soon  found  itself  on  the  Kankakee  on  its  way  to  the  Illinois  River. 
The  portage  was  five  miles  across  and  the  ground  was  swampy. 
They  soon  came  to  a  current  in  the  swampy  ground,  and  into 
this  they  put  their  canoes  and  then  they  could  say  they  were  on 
the  Illinois.  As  they  proceeded  down  the  sluggish  stream,  they 
began  to  find  game,  especially  fowl.  At  night  they  could  see 
the  distant  fires  of  hunters  who  roamed  the  region  through  the 
day.  Soon  hills  began  to  appear  along  the  stream  and  more  or 
less  timber  was  to  be  seen.  They  passed  the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  Ottawa  at  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River.  A  few  miles 
farther  on  they  passed  Buffalo  Rock  on  their  right.  This  is  a 
singular  promontory  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  some  fifty 
or  sixty  feet  high  and  bounded  on  three  sides  by  perpendicular 
cliffs  and  extending  from  the  river  far  enough  to  contain  several 
hundred  acres  of  prairie  and  timber.  Some  eight  miles  below 
Ottawa  on  the  left  bank  stands  the  famous  "Starved  Rock."  It 
has  become  the  best  known  place  in  the  state.  It  is  a  bluff  a 
125  feet  high  with  its  front  face  at  the  water's  edge.  We  shall 
hear  more  of  Starved  Rock. 

Kaskaskia 

Opposite  the  Starved  Rock  is  the  present  town  of  Utica ;  near 
by  was  the  village  of  Kaskaskia.  This  is  our  third  introduction 
to  the  village.  Our  first  was  when  Marquette  and  Joliet  were  on 
their  way  back  from  the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi.  On  that 
occasion  they  ascended  the  Illinois  River  and  stopped  at  Peoria 
and  at  Kaskaskia.  Here  Marquette  preached  to  the  Indians  and 
they  were  so  delighted  that  they  made  him  promise  to  return 
and  teach  them  more  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Marquette 
and  Joliet  reported  that  the  number  of  cabins  or  lodges  was 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  87 

seventy-four.  Father  Allouez  visited  Kaskaskia  in  1677,  two 
years  after  Marquette  established  the  mission  there,  and  he  re- 
ports 450  lodges.  Our  second  introduction  to  the  village  of 
Kaskaskia  was  the  occasion  of  Marquette's  visit  in  the  spring  of 
1675.  He  reported  the  presence  of  2,000  warriors  besides  women 
and  children.  Our  third  introduction  is  in  the  year  1680  when 
La  Salle  reaches  this  center  of  the  Illinois  tribes.  Father 
Zenobius  Membre  visited  Kaskaskia  in  1680  and  says  the  village 
contained  seven  or  eight  thousand  souls.  The  village  evidently 
varied  greatly  as  to  population.  Father  Hennepin  who  was  in 
La  Salle's  company,  says  when  they  reached  the  village  of 
Kaskaskia  in  1680,  the  lodges  were  empty — not  a  soul  in  sight. 
The  tribes  had  gone  on  the  annual  winter  hunt. 

La  Salle  was  very  much  embarrassed  for  his  company  was 
out  of  food  and  the  fires  which  the  Indians  had  set  the  summer 
before  had  driven  small  game  far  away  from  the  banks  of  the 
river.  La  Salle's  men  found  an  abundance  of  corn  in  the 
"caches,"  a  sort  of  outdoor  cellar.  But  this  corn  was  for  the 
sustenance  of  the  tribe  when  it  returned  from  its  winter  hunt. 
Among  Indians  it  would  be  a  great  offence  to  disturb  this  corn. 
La  Salle  wished  to  follow  the  laws  among  the  Indians,  but  there 
was  no  one  of  whom  he  could  purchase.  He  resolved  therefore 
to  take  as  much  as  they  needed,  expecting  to  pay  for  it  if  he 
should  find  the  owners  of  it.  The  company  stayed  but  a  day  in 
the  village,  and  after  three  or  four  days'  travel  they  arrived 
at  the  upper  part  of  the  lake  we  call  Peoria.  As  they  passed 
down  this  lake  they  discovered  the  smoke  of  numerous  camp- 
fires  rising  through  the  evening  air.  The  next  morning  as  they 
came  to  the  south  end  of  the  lake,  they  found  that  both  sides  of 
the  river  were  occupied  by  lodges.  The  French  were  in  eight 
canoes  all  abreast,  Tonti  on  the  left  and  La  Salle  on  the  right. 
The  presence  of  the  French  caused  a  great  commotion,  and  for 
a  time  it  looked  as  if  war  was  certain.  La  Salle  did  not  present 
his  calumet  for  fear  they  would  consider  it  a  sign  of  weakness. 
Presently  two  chiefs  appeared  on  a  hill  and  arised  the  peace 
pipe  and  in  a  short  time  confidence  was  restored.  Fathers 
Membre  and  Hennepin  went  among  the  people  and  explained 
the  purpose  of  their  coming.  Feasts  followed  and  dancing  and 
good  cheer  prevailed. 

Peoria 

The  Indians  were  camping  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  La  Salle 
called  a  conference  of  head  men  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  after  making  them  presents  of  tobacco  and  hatchets,  he 
told  them  that  he  had  taken  their  corn  at  the  Kaskaskia  village 
and  was  willing  to  restore  it  or  pay  for  it  as  the  Indians  pre- 
ferred. They  told  La  Salle  that  he  was  welcome  to  the  corn  and 
offered  him  more.     He  warned  them  that  if  they  could  not  or 


88  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

would  not  minister  to  his  necessities  he  would  go  on  down  the 
river  to  the  Osages  where  his  blacksmith  and  gunsmith  would 
be  doubly  welcome.  He  also  told  them  that  if  he  stayed  in  their 
midst  that  he  must  be  allowed  to  build  a  fort  and  to  refuse  to 
join  them  in  an  attack  upon  the  Iroquois  since  they  (the  Iro- 
quois) were  subjects  of  the  King  of  France.  However,  he  told 
them  that  if  the  Iroquois  were  the  attacking  party  he  would 
defend  them  and  furnish  them  arms  and  ammunition. 

He  further  explained  to  them  that  because  of  the  distance  to 
France  and  the  difficult  route  by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
the  Great  Lakes,  he  was  desirous  of  opening  a  way  to  France  by 
discovering  the  way  out  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  through  the 
Mississippi.  The  Indians  granted  all  his  requests  and  gave  him 
a  glowing  picture  of  the  great  river.  They  said  there  were  no 
other  Europeans  on  the  river,  but  an  Indian  from  the  Gulf 
coast  said  he  had  seen  boats  with  white  wings,  and  with  white 
puffs,  and  noises  like  thunder,  out  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  To 
La  Salle  the  skies  were  clearing.  Here  he  was  among  friends 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  he  slept 
soundly  as  becometh  a  care-free  mind. 

In  the  night  an  Indian  chief  from  the  Mascoutins  together 
with  several  Miamis  came  among  the  Illinois  Indians  at  Peoria 
and  undid  in  a  few  hours  what  La  Salle  in  several  hours  had 
established.  They  brought  presents  for  the  Illinois  Indians  and 
easily  poisoned  their  minds  against  La  Salle.  Monso,  the  lying 
chief,  told  the  Illinois  Indians  that  La  Salle  was  an  agent  of  the 
Iroquois  and  that  the  latter  Indians  would  soon  make  an  invasion 
of  the  Illinois  country.  The  Iroquois  were  greatly  dreaded,  for 
we  must  remember  that  the  Illinois  were  Algonquins  and  that 
there  had  always  been  a  deadly  hatred  between  the  two  nations. 

But  there  is  always  a  silver  lining.  On  the  morrow  an  Illinois 
chief  came  to  La  Salle  and  revealed  the  entire  previous  night's 
work  by  Monso.  La  Salle  was  very  grateful  to  the  Illinois  chief 
and  repaid  him  with  presents.  That  same  afternoon  La  Salle 
and  others  of  his  party  were  invited  to  dine  with  a  brother  of 
the  head  chief,  Nicanope.  The  friends  were  seated  around  the 
kettles  of  food,  when  the  warrior  arose  and  warned  La  Salle  not 
to  proceed  any  further  south  as  the  journey  was  full  of  dangers 
from  the  elements  as  well  as  from  the  Indians  in  that  region. 
La  Salle  arose  and  thanked  the  warrior  for  the  advice  given,  but 
said  the  greater  the  danger  the  greater  the  honor  when  the 
danger  is  over ;  Frenchmen  do  not  flinch  from  danger.  He  then 
told  the  warrior  that  "We  were  not  asleep,  my  brother,  when 
Monso  came  to  tell  you  under  cover  of  night,  that  we  were  spies 
of  the  Iroquois.  The  presents  he  gave  you,  that  you  might  be- 
lieve his  falsehoods,  are  at  this  moment  buried  in  the  earth  under 
this  lodge.  If  he  told  you  the  truth,  why  did  he  skulk  away  in 
the  dark?    Why  did  he  not  show  himself  by  day? — Go  after  this 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  89 

impostor,  Monso,  and  bring  him  back,  that  we  may  answer  him 
face  to  face ;  for  he  never  saw  either  of  us  on  the  Iroquois,  and 
what  can  he  know  of  the  plots  he  pretends  to  reveal?" 

The  next  morning-  six  of  his  men  were  gone.  They  had  been 
dissatisfied  and  took  this  occasion  to  be  a  good  time  to  desert. 
La  Salle  called  all  his  men  before  him  and  delivered  a  strong 
condemnation  against  cowardice  or  ingratitude.  He  insisted 
that  now  was  a  critical  time  and  that  if  they  would  remain  loyal 
till  spring  he  would  gladly  release  them  and  they  could  then 
return  to  Canada  "without  dishonor."  In  addition  to  this  test 
of  La  Salle's  great  powers,  there  was  an  effort  made  to  poison 
him  through  his  food. 

Crevecoeur 

By  the  middle  of  January,  1680,  the  ice  in  the  river  was 
loosened  and  Hennepin  and  La  Salle  went  in  their  canoes  about 
two  miles  below  the  Illinois  village  and  selected  a  spot  for  a 
fort.  The  place  is  described  as  a  hill  200  yards  from  the  southern 
bank  of  the  river,  in  front,  low  marshy  ground,  a  ravine  on  each 
side  of  the  hill.  Here  they  built  their  fort  and  dug  a  moat  on 
the  rear  side,  thus  surrounding  it  with  water.  A  palisade  was 
built  around  the  grounds,  and  the  place  was  considered  secure 
against  either  Illinois  or  Iroquois.  The  fort  was  named  Creve- 
coeur. 

La  Salle  was  now  relieved  from  the  annoyance  of  the  chatter 
of  hypocrisy  and  could  give  earnest  thought  to  the  fortunes  of 
the  Griffin.  It  had  now  been  four  months  since  he  bade  her 
farewell  at  Green  Bay.  He  fully  expected  some  word  from  her 
long  ago.  He  is  not  only  disappointed,  but  is  in  dire  need  of  the 
supplies  which  she  was  to  bring  on  her  return  trip.  He  can 
do  nothing  constructing  a  ship  to  sail  the  lower  Mississippi  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  without  the  materials  which  he  left  at  Fort 
Frontenac.  Many  explanations  were  offered  for  the  apparent 
loss  of  the  Griffin,  but  explanations  were  no  good  at  this  time, 
the  ship  was  certainly  lost.  It  was  a  gloomy  time.  The  stories 
from  the  Illinois  were  constantly  being  rehearsed  about  the  fort 
and  there  was  a  real  fear  among  the  French  men  of  the  dangers 
on  the  Mississippi  River. 

One  day  an  Illinois  hunter  was  returned  from  a  long  hunt 
without  knowledge  of  the  unpleasant  conditions  existing  between 
the  French  and  the  Illinois  Indians.  La  Salle  took  this  young 
hunter  to  the  fort  and  after  a  good  meal  secured  from  him  a 
frank  confession  of  the  conditions  on  the  Mississippi  River  and 
of  the  character  of  the  people  along  its  course.  His  story  greatly 
heartened  La  Salle  and  his  company.  La  Salle  repaired  to  the 
village  and  told  the  chief  men  that  he  had  been  told  by  some 
super-natural  agent  that  they  were  all  lying  about  the  river 
and  in  a  short  time  they  confessed  that  all  they  had  said  about 


90  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  dangers  were  false.  Shortly  after  this,  Indians  from  the 
tribes  along  the  Mississippi  came  to  the  village  and  they  too 
reported  very  favorably  as  to  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  but 
in  addition  said  the  tribes  along  the  river  would  gladly  welcome 
the  Frenchmen. 

"La  Salle,  apparently  ruined  in  fortune,  by  the  loss  of  the 
Griffin ;  pursued  by  enemies  at  Quebec  and  elsewhere ;  surrounded 
by  nations  whose  friendship  was  uncertain ;  in  a  wilderness  al- 
most without  limits,  1,500  miles  from  any  prospect  of  succor — 
resolved  in  his  mighty  mind,  to  set  out  immediately  on  foot  for 
Canada  in  quest  of  aid."  But  as  time  passed  day  by  day  La  Salle 
was  kept  busy  at  work  and  in  receiving  delegations  of  Indians 
from  all  the  surrounding  country.  He  began  the  construction 
of  a  boat  of  considerable  dimensions.  This  was  for  use  on  the 
Mississippi  and  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  was  forty-two  feet 
long  and  twelve  feet  wide.  The  lumber  was  sawn  from  the  trees 
which  grew  all  about.  One  purpose  that  La  Salle  had  in  going 
back  to  Fort  Frontenac  was  to  bring  cordage,  sails,  and  certain 
iron  pieces  he  needed  for  this  "Monster  of  the  Mississippi." 

But  La  Salle  was  further  encouraged  by  the  arrival  of  dele- 
gations from  the  surrounding  tribes.  La  Salle's  fame  had  gone 
abroad  not  only  as  a  resourceful  and  fearless  leader  of  men,  but 
as  a  man  who  was  clothed  by  his  Letters  Patent  with  authority 
over  all  the  regions  round  about.  One  delegation  was  from  the 
far  north — perhaps  about  the  head  of  the  waters  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  They  extended  a  pressing  invitation  to  La  Salle  to 
visit  their  country,  assuring  him  that  there  was  great  wealth 
of  beaver  and  other  furs,  and  also  saying  that  it  was  very  near 
to  the  Western  Sea.  These  reports  created  in  the  mind  of  La 
Salle  the  value  in  his  future  work,  of  an  acquaintance  with  the 
country  on  the  upper  Mississippi.  It  has  been  thought  that  the 
visitors  from  the  upper  Mississippi  knew  that  the  French  were 
easily  influenced  by  the  prospects  of  a  flourishing  trade  in  furs 
and  in  this  way  they  secured  a  promise  from  La  Salle  that  he 
would  consider  the  matter  of  sending  a  group  of  his  men  to 
visit  in  this  far  away  country. 

Hennepin  Expedition 

La  Salle  was  now  fully  determined  to  go  back  to  Fort  Fron- 
tenac for  the  needed  supplies,  and  he  also  thought  it  advisable 
to  send  a  delegation  down  the  Illinois  and  up  the  Mississippi. 
Three  men  were  selected  as  the  leaders  of  the  expedition.  They 
were  Michael  Acco,  a  Frenchman,  Antoine  Anguel,  from  Picardy, 
France,  but  who  was  called  Picard  du  Gay,  and  in  addition  to 
these  two  robust  men,  the  third  was  Father  Louis  Hennepin. 
Father  Hennepin  wrote  a  full  story  of  this  expedition,  but  most 
students  of  this  period  of  explorations  and  discoveries  in  the 
west,  believe  that  his  tendency  to  magnify  himself  led  him  to 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  91 

overstate  some  things  and  fail  to  give  credit  to  other  people 
where  it  was  due. 

La  Salle  furnished  the  party  with  a  few  European  articles 
with  which  they  were  to  win  the  Indians  whom  they  might 
meet.  The  departure  as  on  February  the  29th,  1680.  It  was 
a  matter  of  great  interest  to  the  men  about  Fort  Crevecoeur. 
The  priests  were  present  to  bless  the  venture  and  the  Frenchmen 
in  the  fort  assembled  and  gave  their  best  wishes.  Father  Ga- 
briel Ribourde  gave  the  benediction,  "Be  of  good  courage  and 
let  your  heart  be  comforted." 

Let  us  follow  briefly  this  expedition  into  the  northwest. 
Father  Hennepin  himself  has  written  very  fully  of  this  ad- 
venture. At  evening  of  the  first  day  they  met  Illinois  Indians 
returning  from  the  south.  Hennepin  speaks  of  the  large  hills, 
bluffs,  along  the  course  of  the  river  and  also  of  the  fine  timber 
on  the  banks.  On  March  the  7th,  they  passed  a  trible  of  Tama- 
roa  Indians  some  four  or  five  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois.  They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  probably  on  the 
8th ;  he  gave  a  description  of  the  country  which  is  very  accurate. 
Here  they  remained  till  March  12th  on  account  of  ice  in  the 
Mississippi.  They  proceeded  up  the  river  giving  good  atten- 
tion to  the  lay  of  the  land. 

Father  Hennepin  had  taken  St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  Italy,  as 
their  patron  saint,  and  so  when  he  reached  the  falls  he  called 
them  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Here  he  erected  a  cross  and 
the  arms  of  France.  They  stopped,  here  only  a  few  days  when 
on  the  11th  of  April  they  were  captured  by  the  Sioux  Indians 
who  robbed  the  Frenchmen  of  all  they  had.  They  were  taken 
farther  up  the  river  and  kept  through  the  summer.  In  the  fall 
they  were  rescued  by  Daniel  Greysolon  Du  L'Hut  (Duluth),  a 
trader  of  the  Lake  Superior  region.  After  their  release,  Father 
Hennepin  and  Du  Gay  returned  to  France  where  the  former 
wrote  and  published  a  book  called  "La  Louisiane"  in  1683. 
Acco  later  returned  to  Peoria  and  remained. 

La  Salle  in  New  France 

On  the  first  of  March,  1680,  the  next  day  following  the  de- 
parture of  Father  Hennepin,  La  Salle  took  his  leave  of  Fort 
Crevecoeur — he  started  for  New  France.  Ample  preparation 
had  been  made  for  his  journey.  Two  well  built  birch  bark  canoes 
were  provided.  They  were  loaded  with  baggage — "blankets, 
clothing,  kettle,  hatchet,  gun,  powder,  lead,  and  skins  for  moc- 
casins." La  Salle  had  selected  six  of  his  best  Frenchmen  to 
go  with  him  on  this  return  trip.  He  also  had  a  Mohegan  hunter 
who  should  act  as  guide.  Before  taking  his  departure  he  gave 
Tonti  instructions  to  take  up  his  time  till  he  should  return. 

The  journey  up  the  Illinois  River  was  a  trying  one  for  the 
river  was  full  of  ice  and  the  snow  and  cold  rendered  traveling 
a  difficult  undertaking.     For  miles  and  miles  they  pulled  their 


92  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

canoes  on  sledges  which  they  had  built.  Their  nights  were  spent 
about  a  roaring  fire  in  the  forest.  On  the  10th  of  March  they 
reached  the  Kaskaskia  village  where  a  few  weeks  before  they 
had  taken  the  corn  from  the  caches.  Here  they  remained  sev- 
eral days.  They  were  visited  by  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Illinois 
Indians  named  Chassogoac  (Chicago),  who  was  very  friendly 
with  La  Salle.  The  chief  agreed  to  send  to  the  Frenchmen  at 
Crevecoeur  a  canoe  full  of  corn  which  two  of  the  Frenchmen 
undertook  to  deliver.  La  Salle  and  the  chief  had  a  long  con- 
ference in  which  the  chief  approved  of  La  Salle's  plans,  and 
pledged  support,  both  moral  and  physical. 

The  party  proceeded  up  the  Illinois  and  its  branches  till  they 
reached  the  swampy  lands  of  the  Calumet  region  and  by  the 
24th  of  March  they  found  themselves  at  Fort  Miami  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River.  At  Fort  Miami  La  Salle  met 
two  of  his  men  who  had  been  sent  back  earlier  to  search  for 
tidings  from  the  Griffin.  They  said  they  had  been  on  all  sides 
of  Lake  Michigan  and  there  was  no  trace  of  the  ship.  They 
were  ordered  to  proceed  to  Crevecoeur  and  join  Tonti. 

From  Fort  Miami,  La  Salle  proceeded  overland  to  Detroit. 
Two  men  were  sent  to  Mackinac,  while  he  and  the  other  two 
proceeded  under  great  hardships  to  Niagara.  Here  he  heard  no 
word  from  the  Griffin,  but  he  does  hear  of  the  St.  Pierre,  loaded 
with  20,000  francs  worth  of  merchandise.  It  had  foundered  in 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  all  the  cargo  was  lost.  He  also  found  that 
sixteen  of  his  men  had  gone  back  to  France  and  that  a  portion 
of  his  goods  at  Niagara  had  been  stolen.  From  Niagara  he 
sent  supplies  to  Fort  Crevecoeur  with  a  warning  to  Tonti  that 
the  Iroquois  were  getting  ready  for  an  attack  on  the  Illinois. 
He  passed  on  to  Fort  Frontenac.  He  here  recruited  more  men 
whom  he  despatched  to  Fort  Crevecoeur.  After  putting  some 
business  matters  in  order  he  returned  to  Fort  Crevecoeur,  gath- 
ering men  and  material  as  he  went.  When  he  had  gotten  his 
forces  all  together  he  had  a  ship  carpenter,  a  surgeon,  three 
soldiers,  two  sawyers,  two  masons,  two  laborers,  and  an  Indian. 
There  were  many  discouragements  along  the  way,  but  by  the 
first  of  December,  1680,  the  company  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Kaskaskia  village,  on  the  Illinois.  The  great  village  was  in 
ruins.  It  had  been  burned  and  nothing  remained  but  blackened 
poles  upon  which  hung  "ghastly  human  heads."  From  here  the 
company  went  on  down  the  Illinois  which  was  lined  on  opposite 
sides  with  Illinois  and  Iroquois  warriors.  When  he  reached 
Fort  Crevecoeur  it  too  was  abandoned  and  the  village  of  the 
Peoria  Indians  nearby  was  in  ruins. 

Tonti's  Trials 

When  La  Salle  left  Fort  Crevecoeur  in  March,  1680,  he  left 
Tonti  in  command  with  a  company  of  fifteen  Frenchmen,  be- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  93 

sides  two  priests,  Fathers  Zenobius  Membre  and  Garbriel  de  la 
Ribourde.  It  was  not  difficult  to  see  that  the  men  who  were 
with  Tonti  were  very  unsettled  and  that  they  might  at  any  time 
desert.  About  the  15th  of  April  two  Frenchmen  arrived  who 
had  been  sent  from  Fort  Miami  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
River.  These  two  men  brought  discouraging  news.  They  said 
it  was  believed  the  Griffin  was  lost,  and  that  La  Salle  was  a 
ruined  man  financially.  The  men  with  Tonti  had  received  no 
pay  for  some  time  and  this  news  of  La  Salle's  probable  finan- 
cial failure  added  greatly  to  the  unrest. 

These  two  Frenchmen,  La  Chapelle  and  Leblanc,  brought  also 
a  letter  from  La  Salle  telling  Tonti  to  proceed  to  fortify  the 
great  rock  which  we  now  call  Starved  Rock,  near  the  great 


TONTI 


village  of  the  Kaskaskia  Indians.  This  Tonti  made  ready  to 
do.  Taking  four  men  he  proceeded  up  the  river  to  the  vicinity 
of  Starved  Rock.  Tonti  had  not  been  gone  more  than  a  week 
or  so,  when  those  who  were  left  at  Fort  Crevecoeur,  excepting 
two,  decided  to  abandon  the  fort,  and  after  taking  most  every- 
thing of  value  they  began  a  return  journey  to  Canada.  A 
servant  of  Tonti  and  another  faithful  man  hastened  to  Starved 
Rock  to  tell  him  of  the  desertion.  Tonti  immediately  despatched 
two  of  his  four  men  to  inform  La  Salle  of  this  piece  of  bad  news. 
The  Iroquois  were  bitter  foes  of  all  Algonquins  and  the  Illi- 
nois were  of  that  nation,  but  there  was  another  element  of 
trouble.  The  Iroquois  looked  upon  La  Salle  and  the  French 
government  as  trespassing  upon  their  trade  territory.  They 
therefore  worked  themselves  into  a  pitch  of  frenzy  in  order 
to  attack  the  Illinois,  who  at  that  time  were  in  the  Kaskaskia 


94  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

village.  There  were  500  warriors  in  the  attacking  party  be- 
sides a  band  of  Miamis  who  were  in  reality  friendly  and  neigh- 
bors to  the  Kaskaskia.  Tonti  with  three  Frenchmen  and  the 
two  priests  were  living  in  the  village. 

About  the  middle  of  September  the  quiet,  lazy  village  was 
thrown  into  consternation  by  the  appearance  of  a  friendly 
Shawnee,  who  told  them  the  Iroquois  were  within  a  league  or 
so  of  the  Kaskaskia  village.  There  were  about  500  Illinois 
warriors  who  were  ready  for  the  defense  of  their  women  and 
children. 

Some  young  scouts  returned  with  word  that  a  Frenchman 
was  seen  among  the  Iroquois,  and  from  that  it  grew  to  the 
story  that  La  Salle  was  among  the  Iroquois.  It  was  next  re- 
ported that  Tonti  and  his  Frenchmen  were  traitors  to  the  Illi- 
nois. Tonti  now  had  a  most  difficult  task  to  preserve  his  life  and 
that  of  his  companions.  This  he  was  able  to  do  after  much 
effort,  both  physical  and  diplomatic. 

The  women  and  children  in  the  village  were  sent  down  the 
river  to  places  of  safety  and  the  battle  was  begun.  First  the 
Iroquois  burned  the  village  of  Kaskaskia,  dug  up  the  bodies  of 
the  dead,  scattered  their  bones  over  the  ground  and  hung  the 
skulls  on  the  burned  poles  of  the  wigwams.  There  was  little 
real  fighting  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  Both  armies,  one  on  one 
side  of  the  river,  and  one  on  the  other,  moved  down  the  Illinois, 
but  in  a  short  time  the  Illinois  Indians  began  to  scatter.  It  was 
then  that  they  were  attacked  and  700  women  and  children  were 
massacred  near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River.  The  Iroquois 
now  moved  about  over  the  country  carrying  death  and  destruc- 
tion in  all  directions.  The  conflict  was  over  and  the  Iroquois 
returned  to  their  homes  in  New  York. 

Tonti,  Father  Membre  and  the  Frenchmen  (Father  Ribourde 
having  been  brutally  murdered  by  a  band  of  Kickapoo)  made 
their  way  to  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Michigan  and  took  shelter 
among  the  Pottawattomi.  This  was  the  situation  when  La  Salle 
returned  in  the  late  fall  or  winter  of  1680-81. 

La  Salle  was  therefore  obliged  to  return  to  Canada  to  find 
Tonti  and  as  many  of  his  men  as  possible.  Various  places  were 
visited  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1681  in  search  for  Tonti. 
La  Salle  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  that  came  to  him  to 
trade  in  furs  and  thus  he  was  enabled  to  replenish  his  treasury 
which  was  sadly  depleted.  He  spent  some  time  in  Green  Bay  and 
from  there  sent  out  inquiries  in  all  directions.  He  eventually 
found  Tonti  in  Mackinaw.  After  a  trip  to  Quebec  to  make 
some  business  arrangements  he  returned  to  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Joseph  River.  Here  he  gathered  together  eighteen  Indians, 
ten  squaws  and  one  child,  and  twenty-three  Frenchmen,  making 
in  all  fifty-four,  and  counting  La  Salle  we  see  there  were  fifty- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  95 

five  people  ready  for  another  effort  to  find  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi. 

By  the  end  of  December,  1681,  they  were  all  at  the  Chicago 
portage.  The  weather  was  very  severe.  They  build  sledges  on 
which  they  placed  their  canoes  and  luggage  and  started  down 
the  frozen  Illinois.  When  they  reached  the  village  of  Kaskaskia, 
it  was  still  in  ruins.  They  reached  Crevecoeur  on  the  25th  of 
January,  1782.  The  fort  was  in  fair  condition.  Here  they 
found  open  water  and  they  constructed  canoes  for  the  journey 
down  the  Mississippi.  They  reached  the  Mississippi  on  Feb- 
ruary 6th,  but  were  obliged  to  remain  for  several  days  on 
account  of  the  great  ice  floes  in  the  Father  of  Waters.  Nothing 
unusual  occurred  as  they  proceeded  down  the  river  till  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri.  Here  they  halted  and 
heard  wonderful  stories  about  this  river  from  the  west.  A 
few  days  later  they  halted  at  the  great  village  of  the  Tama- 
roas,  which  was  located  about  three  or  four  miles  below  the 
Eades  bridge  on  the  Illinois  side.  The  place  was  called  Cahokia. 
As  they  proceeded  they  mentioned  objects  which  enable  one 
familiar  with  the  country  to  recognize  the  places  along  the 
river.  They  soon  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  from  the  east. 
By  the  end  of  February  they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg. 
Here  they  hunted  and  built  a  small  fort  which  the  named  Prud- 
homme  in  honor  of  one  of  their  number  who  was  lost  for  nine 
days.  The  journey  from  here  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  was 
uneventful,  except  that  they  got  acquainted  with  all  the  Indians 
along  the  river  to  its  mouth. 

They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  early  in  April, 
explored  the  three  channels  or  mouths  and  all  gathered  above 
the  forks  of  the  river  to  take  formal  possession  of  the  river  and 
the  territory  which  it  drained. 


CHAPTER  VII 

LA  SALLE'S  UNFINISHED  TASK 

LaSalle's  Vision — The  Process  Verbal — Stricken  With 
Fever — The  Great  Fort — LaSalle  at  Matagorda  Bay — 
Tonti  Alone 

LaSalle  was  a  far-seeing  statesman,  and  he  could  not  return 
to  his  base  of  operations  in  Canada  till  he  had  figured  out  that 
the  territory  drained  by  so  large  a  river  as  the  Mississippi  was 
indeed  very  extensive.  He  was  personally  familiar  with  it  from 
the  lakes  to  the  gulf.  It  was  also  possible  that  he  knew  that 
its  eastern  parts  lay  far  east  of  the  Ohio.  He  also  knew  from 
the  size  of  the  upper  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri,  as  well  as  of 
the  Arkansas  and  the  Red,  that  the  western  and  northwestern 
slopes  extended  hundreds  of  miles  toward  the  setting  sun.  He 
had  become  so  familiar  with  its  resources  that  he  could  easily 
say  it  was  a  region  of  great  wealth.  It  was  therefore  his  duty 
to  his  King  to  take  formal  possession  of  the  vast  region  in  the 
name  of  his  Sovereign.  He  probably  well  knew  that  he  had 
passed  through  sections  that  had  been  visited  and  claimed  by 
the  Spanish.  But  it  was  the  part  of  wisdom  from  the  French- 
man's point  of  view  to  ignore  completely  the  claims  which  Spain 
or  any  other  country  might  have  on  the  lower  part  of  the  great 
river  and  its  adjacent  territory. 

"His  sagacious  eye  discerned  the  magnificent  resources  of  the 
country.  As  he  floated  down  its  flood ;  as  he  framed  a  cabin  on 
the  first  Chickasa  bluff ;  as  he  raised  the  cross  by  the  Arkansas ; 
as  he  planted  the  arms  of  France  and  the  cross  near  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico — he  anticipated  the  future  affluence  of  emigrants,  and 
heard  in  the  distance  the  footsteps  of  the  advancing  multitude 
that  was  coming  to  take  possession  of  the  valley.  Meantime,  he 
claimed  the  territory  for  France,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
Louisiana.  This  was  the  proudest  period  of  success  of  Louis 
XIV." 

LaSalle's  Vision 

In  making  up  his  party  in  Canada  for  this  important  expedi- 
tion, LaSalle  did  not  forget  that  he  would  have  need  of  some 
one  in  official  relation  to  the  government.  He  therefore  secured 
the  services  of  one  Jaques  De  La  Metairie,  notary  of  Fort  Fron- 
tenac,  Canada.  LaSalle  saw  how  much  weight  would  be  added  to 
the  claim  of  his  King  over  the  interior  of  the  continent  if  all  his 
work  in  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  could  be  attested 
by  an  officer  of  the  King.    De  La  Metairie  was  therefore  directed 

96 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  97 

by  LaSalle  to  keep  a  careful  record  of  the  various  incidents 
which  took  place  along  the  journey  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf. 
This  he  did. 

Before  returning,  LaSalle  assembled  the  entire  company  on  a 
high  bank  along  the  river  and  there  erected  a  column  to  which 
was  attached  the  arms  of  France,  wrought  from  a  copper  kettle ; 
and  inscription  reading:  "Louis  Le  Grand,  Roy  de  France  et  de 
Navarre,  regne  le  ge  Avril,  1682."  LaSalle  proclaimed  that  he 
took  possession  of  the  Mississippi  and  all  the  land  it  drained  in 
the  name  of  his  King.  A  cross  was  affixed  to  one  of  the  trees 
and  the  Te  Deum  was  chanted.  At  the  foot  of  the  tree  holding 
the  cross  was  planted  a  leaden  plate  upon  which  was  a  Latin 
inscription  giving  a  brief  account  of  the  discovery  of  the  river 
and  its  mouth  and  reciting  that  LaSalle  and  his  company  were 
the  first  white  people  to  traverse  the  Mississippi. 

De  La  Metairie  then  presented  the  "Proces  Verbal,"  which 
was  signed  by  himself  and  twelve  others,  among  whom  was 
LaSalle,  Tonti  and  Father  Zenobe  (Membre),  and  Jean  Michel, 
surgeon.    The  following  is  a  portion  of  this  document : 

Process  Verbal 

"Of  the  taking  possession  of  Louisiana,  at  the  Mouth  of  the 
Mississippi,  by  the  Sieur  De  La  Salle,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1682. 

Jaques  De  La  Metairie,  Notary  of  Fort  Frontenac,  in  New 
France,  commissioned  to  exercise  the  said  function  of  notary 
during  the  voyage  to  Louisiana,  in  North  America,  by  M.  de  la 
Salle,  Governor  of  Fort  Frontenac  for  the  King,  and  commandant 
of  the  said  discovery  by  the  commission  of  his  Majesty  given  at 
St.  Germain,  on  the  12th  day  of  May,  1678. 

"To  all  those  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting: 
Know,  that  having  been  requested  by  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle 
to  deliver  to  him  an  act,  signed  by  us  and  by  the  witnesses 
therein  named,  of  possession  by  him  taken  of  the  country  of 
Louisiana,  near  the  three  mouths  of  the  River  Colbert,  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1682. 

"In  the  name  of  the  most  high,  mighty,  invincible,  and  vic- 
torious Prince,  Louis,  the  Great,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  King  of 
France  and  of  Navarre  Fourteenth  of  that  name,  and  of  his 
heirs,  and  the  successor  of  his  crown,  we,  the  aforesaid  notary, 
have  delivered  the  said  act  to  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  the 
tenor  whereof  follows : 

"An  hour  afterwards,  we  came  to  the  Village  of  Maheouala, 
lately  destroyed,  and  containing  dead  bodies  and  marks  of  blood. 
Two  leagues  below  this  place  we  encamped.  We  continued  our 
voyage  till  the  6th,  when  we  discovered  three  channels  by  which 
the  River  Colbert  discharges  itself  into  the  sea.  We  landed  on 
the  bank  of  the  most  western  channel,  about  three  leagues  from 

6V1 


98  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

its  mouth.  On  the  7th,  M.  de  la  Salle  went  to  reconnoitre  the 
shores  of  the  neighboring  sea,  and  M.  de  Tonty  likewise  exam- 
ined the  great  middle  channel.  They  found  these  two  outlets 
beautiful,  large  and  deep.  On  the  8th,  we  reascended  the  river, 
a  little  above  its  confluence  with  the  sea,  to  find  a  dry  place, 
beyond  the  reach  of  inundations.  The  elevation  of  the  north 
Pole  was  here  about  27.°  Here  we  prepared  a  column  and  a 
cross,  and  to  the  said  column  were  affixed  the  arms  of  France, 
with  this  inscription: 

Louis  Le  Grand  Roi  De  France  Et  De  Navarre,  Regne; 
Le  Neuvieme,  Avril,  1682. 
"The  whole  party,  under  arms,  chanted  the  Te  Deum,  the 
Exaudiat,  the  Domine  salvum  fac  Regem ;  and  then  after  a 
salute  of  firearms  and  cries  of  Vive  le  Roi,  the  column  was 
erected  by  M.  de  la  Salle,  who,  standing  near  it,  said,  with  a  loud 
voice,  in  French:  "In  the  name  of  the  most  high,  mighty,  in- 
vincible, and  victorious  Prince,  Louis  the  Great,  by  the  Grace 
of  God,  King  of  France  and  of  Navarre,  Fourteenth  of  that 
name,  this  ninth  day  of  April,  one  thousand  six  hundred  and 
eight-two,  I,  in  virtue  of  the  commission  of  his  Majesty  which 
I  hold  in  my  hand,  and  which  may  be  seen  by  all  whom  it  may 
concern,  have  taken,  and  do  now  take,  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty 
and  of  his  successors  to  the  crown,  possession  of  this  country  of 
Louisiana,  the  seas,  harbours,  ports,  bays,  adjacent  straits;  and 
all  the  nations,  people,  provinces,  cities,  towns,  villages,  mines, 
minerals,  fisheries,  streams,  and  rivers  comprised  in  the  extent 
of  the  said  Louisiana,  from  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  St. 
Louis  on  the  eastern  side,  otherwise  called  Ohio,  Alighin,  Sipore, 
or  Chickachas,  and  this  with  the  consent  of  the  Chaouanons, 
Chikachas,  and  other  people  dwelling  therein,  with  whom  we 
have  made  alliance;  as  also  along  the  River  Colbert,  or  Missis- 
sipi,  and  rivers  which  discharge  themselves  therein,  from  its 
source  beyond  the  country  of  the  Kious  or  Nadauessious,  and 
this  with  their  consent,  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Motantees, 
Illinois,  Mesigameas,  Natches,  Koroas,  which  are  the  most  con- 
siderable nations  dwelling  therein,  with  whom  also  we  have 
made  alliance,  either  by  ourselves  or  by  others  in  our  behalf; 
as  far  as  its  mouth  at  the  sea,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  about  the  27th 
degree  of  the  elevation  of  the  North  Pole,  and  also  to  the  mouth 
of  River  of  Palms;  upon  the  assurance  which  we  have  received 
from  all  these  nations,  that  we  are  the  first  Europeans  who 
have  descended  or  ascended  the  said  River  Colbert;  hereby  pro- 
testing against  all  those  who  may  in  future  undertake  to  invade 
any  or  all  of  these  countries,  people,  or  lands,  above  described, 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  right  of  his  Majesty,  acquired  by  the 
consent  of  the  nations  herein  named.    Of  which,  and  of  all  that 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  99 

can  be  needed,  I  hereby  take  to  witness  those  who  hear  me,  and 
demand  an  act  of  the  Notary,  as  required  by  law. 

"To  which  the  whole  assembly  responded  with  shouts  of  Vive 
le  Roi,  and  with  salutes  of  firearms.  Moreover,  the  said  Sieur 
de  la  Salle  caused  to  be  buried  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  to  which 
the  cross  was  attached  a  leaden  plate,  on  one  side  of  which  were 
engraved  the  arms  of  France,  and  the  following  Latin  inscrip- 
tion: 

"After  which  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle  said,  that  his  Majesty,  as 
eldest  son  of  the  Church,  would  annex  no  country  to  his  crown, 
without  making  it  his  chief  care  to  establish  the  Christian  re- 
ligion therein,  and  that  its  symbol  must  now  be  planted ;  which 
was  accordingly  done  at  once  by  erecting  a  cross,  before  which 
the  Vexilla  and  the  Domine  salvum  fac  Regem  were  sung. 
Whereupon  the  ceremony  was  concluded  with  cries  of  Vive  le 
Roi. 

"Of  all  and  every  of  the  above,  the  said  Sieur  de  la  Salle  hav- 
ing required  of  us  an  instrument,  we  have  delivered  to  him  the 
same,  signed  by  us,  and  by  the  undersigned  witnesses,  this  ninth 
day  of  April,  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-two. 

"La  Metairie, 

Notary. 

"De  LaSalle, 

"P.  Zenobe,  Recollect  Missionary, 

"Henry  De  Tonty, 

"Francois  de  Boisrondet, 

"Jean  Bourdon, 

"Sieur  d'Autry, 

"Jaques  Cauchois, 

"Pierre  You, 

"Gilles  Meucret, 

"Jean  Michel,  Surgeon, 

"Jean  Dulignon, 

"Nocolas  de  la  Salle." 

Stricken  With  Fever 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1782,  LaSalle  and  his  company  turned 
their  faces  toward  the  north,  and  began  the  hard  battle  against 
the  current  of  the  mighty  Mississippi.  But  LaSalle,  with  some 
close  friends,  pushed  ahead  more  rapidly  and  reached  Fort 
Prudhomme,  on  the  Chickasa  bluffs,  where  a  burning  fever 
forced  him  to  abandon  his  journey.  He  occupied  a  cabin  he  had 
built  on  the  downward  trip.  He  had  no  means  of  relief  and  a 
messenger  was  sent  down  the  river  to  urge  the  surgeon,  who 
was  with  the  second  section,  to  hasten  to  the  relief  of  LaSalle. 
This  was  done,  but  when  they  reached  Fort  Prudhomme  it  was 


100  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

decided  that  Tonti,  with  the  main  body  of  the  company,  should 
proceed  May  6th  to  Mackinaw  to  care  for  the  interests  of  LaSalle. 

Tonti,  with  several  of  the  party,  made  his  way  up  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  along  the  Illinois  and  reached  Mackinaw  about  the 
middle  of  July,  1682.  Tonti  met  with  many  obstacles  on  his 
return  journey,  but  he  was  a  real  diplomat  and  was  able  to  quiet 
his  foes,  and  to  strengthen  his  friendships  among  the  Indians. 

LaSalle  was  obliged  to  remain  at  Fort  Prudhomme  till  the 
early  part  of  September,  1682 — he  says  forty  days.  Father 
Zenobe  Membre  ministered  to  him  and  nursed  him  back  to 
partial  health.  They  left  Fort  Prudhomme  about  the  first  of 
August.  They  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  and  up  the  Illinois. 
At  Fort  Crevecoeur  LaSalle  saw  his  ship  partly  burned.  He 
left  some  of  his  men  here  to  hold  the  place  for  their  master. 
LaSalle  reached  Fort  Miami,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
River,  late  in  August.  In  September  he  reached  Mackinaw, 
where  Tonti  awaited  him.  Already  he  had  received  word  that 
he  had  active  enemies  in  Canada.  The  following  from  Parkman 
will  give  us  some  knowledge  of  the  situation  at  this  time.  It  is 
a  quotation  from  a  letter  which  LaSalle  wrote  to  a  friend  in 
France  in  the  fall  of  1682: 

"Though  my  discovery  is  made,  and  I  have  descended  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  I  can  not  send  you  this  year 
either  an  account  of  my  journey  or  a  map.  On  the  way  back,  I 
was  attacked  by  a  deadly  disease  which  kept  me  in  danger  of 
my  life  for  forty  days,  and  left  me  so  weak  that  I  could  think 
of  nothing  for  four  months  after.  (The  surgeon,  Jean  Michel, 
had  bled  LaSalle  to  counteract  the  fever.)  I  have  hardly 
strength  enough  now  to  write  my  letters — besides,  my  presence 
is  absolutely  necessary  in  the  place  to  which  I  am  going.  I  pray 
you,  my  dear  sir,  to  give  me  once  more  all  the  help  you  can.  I 
have  great  enemies,  who  have  succeeded  in  all  they  have  under- 
taken. I  do  not  pretend  to  resist  them,  but  only  to  justify  my- 
self, so  that  I  can  pursue  by  sea  the  plans  I  have  begun  here  by 
land." 

LaSalle  here  acknowledges  his  inability  to  contend  with  his 
enemies  in  New  France,  but  hopes  to  justify  himself  before  the 
King  and  secure  his  permission  to  reach  the  Illinois  country  by 
sea  and  the  lower  Mississippi  River  and  thus  avoid  the  necessity 
of  reaching  Fort  St.  Louis  by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
lakes. 

LaSalle  was  desirous  of  reporting  to  the  King  of  France  in 
person,  but  that  was  impossible  at  this  time,  and  he  therefore 
deputized  Father  Membre  to  proceed  to  France  with  a  full 
account  of  the  discovery  of  the  great  river  and  its  mouth.  The 
good  priest  made  his  way  to  Quebec  and  sailed  for  France  in 
the  same  ship  which  carried  Count  Frontenac  to  his  native  land. 
Father  Membre  said  of  his  work  in  this  new  world :    "I  can  not 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  101 

say  that  my  little  efforts  produced  certain  fruits.  With  regard 
to  these  nations  perhaps  some  one  by  a  secret  effort  of  grace 
has  profited ;  this,  God  only  knows.  All  we  have  done  is  to  see 
the  state  of  these  nations,  and  to  open  the  way  to  the  Gospel, 
and  to  missionaries;  having  baptized  only  two  infants  whom  I 
saw  at  the  point  of  death  and  who  in  fact  died  in  our  presence." 

In  the  fall  of  1682  there  were  reports  of  an  invasion  of  the 
Iroquois  into  the  Illinois  country.  LaSalle  sent  Tonti  to  the 
south  end  of  Lake  Michigan  with  a  small  band  of  soldiers,  and 
wrote  to  the  governor  of  New  France,  at  Quebec,  asking  for 
arms  and  ammunition  for  the  defense  of  the  Illinois  country. 
LaSalle  himself  went  into  the  Illinois  country  in  December,  1682, 
and  found  Tonti  at  Fort  Crevecoeur.  It  has  been  stated  that  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  had  been  considered  as  a  good  place 
to  make  the  center  of  his  authority  in  the  Illinois  country,  but 
finally  the  region  about  Starved  Rock  was  selected,  and  Tonti, 
LaSalle  and  their  followers  of  probably  two  score  ascended  the 
Illinois  to  what  afterward  came  to  be  known  as  Starved  Rock. 
This  region  had  been  greatly  praised  by  Joliet  and  Marquette, 
and  both  Tonti  and  LaSalle  have  given  extravagant  descriptions 
of  it.  Tonti  says  it  is  as  charming  a  country  as  one  can  see  any- 
where. The  beautiful  landscape,  the  abundance  of  animals — 
buffalo,  deer,  wild  turkeys,  and  smaller  game — make  it  one  of 
the  most  desirable  places  he  had  ever  seen.  The  river,  the 
islands,  the  falls,  the  alternation  of  groves  and  prairies,  gives 
great  variety  and  beauty  to  the  outlook  from  the  many  elevations 
that  abound  along  the  Illinois.  These  descriptions  had  reached 
the  barren  regions  about  Quebec  and  also  had  been  repeated 
enthusiastically  in  France,  and  as  a  result  there  were  jealous 
eyes  looking  toward  the  new  center  of  commerce  and  political 
power  which  was  to  grow  up  about  the  far  famed  Fort  St.  Louis. 

The  Great  Fort 

The  new  center  of  power  in  the  Illinois  country  was  to  be 
marked  by  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  easily  defended  forts 
of  all  those  which  La  Salle  had  up  to  this  time  constructed.  The 
location  is  familiar  to  all  the  school  children  of  Illinois.  It  stands 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river  some  eight  or  nine  miles  below 
Ottawa.  The  bluff  is  more  than  125  feet  high  and  is  flanked 
by  three  precipitous  sides.  One  faces  the  river  and  is  practically 
a  perpendicular  wall  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  top  of  the 
bluff.  Here  the  stronghold  was  to  be  constructed.  The  flat  top 
is  more  than  an  acre  in  extent  and  is  approached  from  the  side 
opposite  the  river,  and  here  only  with  difficulty. 

The  fort  was  constructed  in  the  winter  of  1682-3,  and  was 
finished  by  the  middle  of  March.  There  was  built  along  the  south 
edge  of  the  flat  top  of  the  rock  a  palisade  of  logs  ten  inches  in 
diameter  and  twenty-two  feet  high.     A  palisade  of  fifteen  feet 


102  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

in  height  enclosed  the  other  three  sides,  and  in  addition  a  parapet 
of  wooden  logs  was  built  around  the  edge  of  the  flat  top  and  just 
within  the  palisade.  These  palisades  bore  heavy  wooden  spikes 
with  iron  tips  as  a  further  safe-guard  against  the  dreaded  Iro- 
quois. With  the  palisades  were  quite  a  few  houses.  Some  were 
used  as  dwellings,  some  for  store  houses,  and  one  was  a  chapel. 
On  the  completion  of  the  fort  sometime  in  March,  1683,  the  royal 
ensign  of  France  was  unfurled.  This  must  have  been  a  proud 
moment  for  La  Salle.  Here  he  was  in  the  center  of  a  great 
agricultural  region;  rich  valleys  and  prairies,  with  timber, 
water,  rocks,  and  wild  game.  Here  he  felt  could  be  built  up  a 
powerful  stronghold  for  the  King,  and  a  great  commercial  center 
for  himself.  Fort  St.  Louis  was  midway  between  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

But  unfortunately  La  Salle's  enemies  were  beginning  to  ap- 
pear, and  among  these  was  no  less  a  personage  than  the  gover- 
nor of  Canada,  La  Febvre  de  la  Barre,  who  had  succeeded  Count 
Frontenac.  La  Barre  had  been  instructed  by  the  King  to  grant 
no  more  permits  to  explorers  to  go  into  the  West.  It  was  the 
King's  notion  that  the  French  would  better  stay  in  Canada  and 
cultivate  the  soil.  However,  the  new  governor  was  directed  to 
allow  La  Salle  to  proceed  with  his  enterprises,  unless  it  should 
appear  that  these  might  work  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  interest 
of  the  King.  Le  Barre  was  scarcely  installed  in  his  office  before 
he  began  to  place  himself  in  opposition  to  La  Salle.  The  latter 
did  not  know  that  the  new  governor  was  against  him,  and  he 
therefore  wrote  to  him  asking  for  favors  and  telling  the  new 
governor  that  there  were  men  in  Canada  who  would  do  all  they 
could  to  injure  La  Salle's  cause.  Many  of  La  Salle's  men  would 
be  detained  in  Canada  and  thus  the  plans  which  La  Salle  wished 
to  carry  out  would  be  frustrated. 

All  through  the  spring  of  1683,  Tonti  as  the  agent  of  La  Salle 
was  going  about  through  all  the  country  inviting  the  Indians  to 
come  to  Fort  St.  Louis  and  settle  as  the  best  mode  of  protecting 
themselves  against  the  Iroquois.  Tonti  found  that  La  Salle's 
enemies  were  busy  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  their 
work  could  be  overcome.  However,  in  the  course  of  the  summer 
of  1683,  thousands  of  Indians  were  gathered  about  Fort  St. 
Louis.  The  Kaskaskia  Indians  now  returned  to  their  village  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river  and  all  along  the  Illinois  were 
settled  the  tribes  and  sub-tribes  of  the  Algonquins.  La  Salle 
reported  to  his  King  that  he  had  under  his  care  and  control 
4,000  warriors  which  would  mean  at  least  20,000  souls.  La 
Salle  now  began  to  give  out  grants  of  land  and  everything 
points  toward  a  successful  enterprise.  What  he  most  needed 
was  Frenchmen  who  were  sympathetic  with  his  great  under- 
taking. The  governor  of  Canada  had  detained  several  of  La 
Salle's  agents  who  had  gone  to  Montreal  for  supplies  which  were 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  103 

badly  needed  at  Fort  St.  Louis.  In  the  mid-summer  of  1683 
La  Salle  in  desperation  went  to  the  Chicago  portage  and  from 
there,  June  4th,  wrote  a  long  letter  to  La  Barre  asking  his  co- 
operation in  holding  Fort  St.  Louis  for  the  King  against  the 
threatened  attacks  of  the  Iroquois. 

In  the  summer  of  1683  Le  Barre  sent  one  Durantaye  with 
authority  to  make  friends  with  the  Indians  and  to  arrest  La  Salle 
if  the  reports  were  found  to  be  true  that  he  was  setting  himself 
up  as  a  potentate  among  the  Indians  of  the  interior.  Le  Barre 
also  took  the  ground  that  La  Salle  had  no  right  to  be  in  the  Illi- 
nois country  since  his  patent  only  lacked  a  few  days  of  expiring. 

In  August,  1683,  La  Salle  bade  his  faithful  followers  at  Fort 
St.  Louis  goodby,  and  took  up  his  journey  to  Quebec  and  thence 
to  France  to  secure  the  consent  of  the  King  to  further  plans 
which  he  had.  Tonti  was  left  in  charge  of  the  fort  and  of  the 
twenty  Frenchmen  to  whom  La  Salle  had  granted  lands  about 
the  fort  as  well  as  the  savages.  At  Chicago  La  Salle  wrote  a 
letter  to  his  friends  at  Fort  St.  Louis  and  told  them  he  would 
return  in  the  spring  of  1684.  Shortly  after  the  departure  of 
La  Salle,  Tonti  was  ordered  to  turn  Fort  St.  Louis  over  to  a 
representative  of  Le  Barre  and  to  report  at  Quebec.  Here  he 
was  held  virtually  a  prisoner  till  1685  when  by  order  of  the 
King  he  was  restored  to  the  command  of  Fort  St.  Louis. 

La  Salle  at  Matagorda  Bay 

La  Salle  reached  France  in  due  season  and  presented  an  ac- 
count of  all  he  had  done  and  plans  of  what  he  wished  to  do,  to 
the  King,  who  was  deeply  interested  in  them.  The  new  plans 
of  La  Salle  provided  for  an  expedition  on  a  large  scale  to  come 
to  the  Illinois  country  by  way  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  Bases  of  operation  for  the  settling  and  developing  of 
the  interior  of  the  country  were  to  be  made  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi  River  and  at  points  along  its  course.  In  this 
way  the  great  central  station,  Fort  St.  Louis,  could  easily  com- 
municate with  France  without  having  to  come  or  to  go  through 
Canada.  In  addition  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  French  Govern- 
ment to  occupy  a  port  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  prevent  the 
Spaniards  from  interfering  with  French  maritime  rights  in 
that  region.  Everything  seemed  to  work  to  the  advantage  of 
La  Salle  and  a  very  generous  arrangement  was  devised  for  the 
return  of  La  Salle. 

Four  vessels  were  granted  to  La  Salle,  a  hundred  soldiers  were 
enrolled  for  the  expedition,  mechanics,  laborers,  volunteers, 
burgers,  and  some  gentlemen.  A  new  thing  in  French  coloniza- 
tion in  the  new  world  was  the  presence  in  this  expedition  of 
several  married  women,  as  well  as  young  unmarried  women  who 
looked  forward  to  certain  matrimony.  There  were  also  present 
three  priests  of  St.  Sulpice,  and  three  Recollects.    One  war  ves- 


104  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

sel  of  thirty-six  guns,  another  vessel  of  six  guns  together  with 
a  store  vessel  and  another  called  a  Ketch — four  vessels  and  nearly 
400  men. 

The  expedition  seemed  destined  for  failure  from  the  beginning. 
La  Salle  and  Beaujeu,  the  naval  commander,  quarreled  while  the 
expedition  was  being  fitted  out,  and  considerable  illfortune  at- 
tended the  departure  of  the  fleet  from  Rochelle  in  July,  1684. 
The  two  men  quarreled  all  the  way  across  the  Atlantic.  La  Salle 
suffered  a  return  of  the  fever  such  as  had  attacked  him  on  his 
return  up  the  Mississippi,  and  being  unable  to  give  directions, 
the  naval  commander  did  many  things  to  the  detriment  of  the 
expedition.  On  entering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  they  were  unable 
to  find  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  and  so  coasted  West  to 
Matagorda  Bay  where  they  landed  in  the  spring  of  1685.  One 
of  the  ships  had  been  captured  by  the  Spanish  and  another  was 
wrecked  in  the  Matagorda  Bay.  They  built  a  fort  and  began 
the  exploration  of  the  coast  to  determine  where  they  were.  They 
landed  and  commenced  a  settlement.  Sickness  of  a  serious  na- 
ture was  common  and  before  fall  there  were  thirty  graves  in 
the  new  cemetery.  The  Indians  were  very  hostile  and  the  expe- 
dition seemed  doomed  from  the  day  they  landed.  La  Salle  went 
on  frequent  exploring  expeditions. 

Having  failed  on  these  exploring  parties  to  find  the  Mississippi 
River,  the  decision  was  for  a  band  to  undertake  the  task  of 
reaching  Canada.  La  Salle  took  a  small  band  of  seventeen  with 
him,  and  left  the  remainder  to  keep  the  fort  till  the  exploring 
party  should  return.  This  was  in  the  spring  of  1687.  The  band 
proceeded  with  some  difficulty  in  traveling  and  when  out  some 
days  a  conspiracy  was  hatched  proposing  the  assassination  of 
La  Salle.  This  was  accomplished.  Parkman  says  the  body  was 
not  buried  but  left  in  the  grass  for  the  birds  of  prey.  The  con- 
spirators returned  to  the  fort  where  they  took  control  and  ruled 
with  a  high  hand.  Eventually  the  twenty  or  more  persons  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  some  finding  their  way  back  to  France  and 
some  into  the  Illinois  country. 

Tonti  Alone 

Tonti,  upon  his  reinstatement  as  commander  at  Fort  St. 
Louis,  made  haste  to  put  the  fort  in  a  state  of  defense  and  to 
urge  loyalty  on  the  part  of  the  men  who  had  received  grants 
of  land  in  that  vicinity.  The  Indians  had  scattered  and  had 
lost  interest  in  the  management  of  the  fort  since  there  were 
no  European  goods  to  exchange  for  furs.  During  the  absence 
of  Tonti  as  a  virtual  prisoner  at  Quebec,  the  governor  of  Fort 
St.  Louis,  one  De  Baugy,  permitted  misunderstandings  and  dif- 
ferences to  arise  between  the  Illinois  and  the  Miami.  Out  of 
these  contentions  came  actual  warfare  between  these  tribes, 
and  when  Tonti  arrived  in  June,  1685,  he  was  under  the  necessity 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  105 

of  pacifying  these  warring  factions.  To  do  so  required  all  his 
strength  and  skill  in  diplomacy,  beside  the  paying  out  of  more 
than  a  thousand  dollars  to  secure  terms  of  peace  between  the 
two  tribes. 

In  the  fall  of  1685  disquieting  rumors  began  to  fill  the  air 
concerning  the  expedition  which  La  Salle  was  making  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  Tonti  was  immediately  alive  to  the 
interests  of  his  chief  and  dispatched  reliable  Indians  to  the 
lower  Mississippi  to  obtain  any  news  of  the  expedition  which 
might  be  had ;  he  himself  went  immediately  to  Mackinac,  hoping 
to  obtain  the  latest  information  concerning  La  Salle.  At  the 
same  time  he  hoped  to  counteract  the  influence  of  La  Barre, 
who  was  doing  all  he  could  to  prevent  goods  and  supplies  from 
reaching  Fort  St.  Louis.  Here  he  learned  positively  that  La 
Salle  had  sailed  from  France  to  seek  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  was  good  news,  but  he  was  made  to  rejoice  also 
greatly  on  learning  that  his  bitter  enemy,  La  Barre,  the  gov- 
ernor of  Canada,  had  been  recalled  by  the  King  and  that  the 
Marquis  de  Denonville  had  replaced  him  and  that  he  was  al- 
ready taking  steps  to  further  the  good  work  which  the  King 
understood  Tonti  was  doing  at  Fort  St.  Louis.  A  letter  written 
by  Denonville  to  Tonti  was  then  on  its  way  to  the  fort.  While 
yet  at  Mackinac,  Tonti  heard  more  disquieting  news  about 
La  Salle.  He  therefore  hastened  to  Fort  St.  Louis  in  the  hope 
that  the  Indians  whom  he  had  sent  to  the  lower  Mississippi 
had  returned  with  news  of  La  Salle.  They  did  return  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1686,  but  with  no  word  from  La  Salle. 

Tonti  therefore  decided  to  make  a  trip  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
in  search  of  word  from  his  chief.  The  trip  down  the  Illinois 
and  the  Mississippi  was  full  of  interest  to  Tonti,  because  three 
years  ago  he  had  descended  these  streams  in  search  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  He  spent  some  days  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, but  could  find  no  trace  of  La  Salle.  On  his  return  he 
passed  the  place  where  La  Salle  three  years  ago  had  erected  the 
column  holding  the  coat  of  arms  of  France  and  another  upon 
which  the  cross  was  placed.  The  elements  and  time  had  over- 
thrown these  monuments  and  Tonti  was  moved  to  restore  them 
by  placing  them  in  a  more  elevated  spot  on  the  bank  of  the 
river. 

On  his  return  to  Fort  St.  Louis  he  found  preparations  going 
on  for  a  joint  attack  upon  the  Iroquois.  Denonville  was  to 
furnish  two  or  three  thousand  soldiers  while  Tonti  was  to  join 
with  all  the  warriors  he  could  raise  around  the  fort.  Tonti  was 
able  to  enlist  about  400  or  500  Indians.  From  about  Green 
Bay  and  Mackinac  and  out  of  Canada  came  French  volunteers 
and  Indians  to  the  number  of  several  hundred.  These  forces 
all  met  on  Lake  Ontario  July  10,  1687.  The  combined  force  of 
probably  3,000  fighting  men  invaded  the  land  of  the  Senecas 


106  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

and  after  a  savage  battle  the  latter  were  driven  from  their 
homes  which  the  invading  army  laid  waste.  In  this  battle  three 
French  captains  won  great  praise  for  themselves.  Denonville, 
in  his  dispatches,  mentioned  with  great  praise  Tonti,  Duluth, 
and  Durantaye,  each  of  whom  commanded  separate  divisions 
of  the  invading  army.  The  invaders  remained  in  the  land  of 
the  Senecas  for  a  week  and  destroyed  everything  which  would 
be  of  value  to  the  Senecas  when  they  returned  to  the  place  where 
they  had  formerly  lived.  The  invading  army  dispersed,  each 
division  returning  to  its  old  haunts. 

As  Tonti  and  his  contingent  were  nearing  Fort  St.  Louis 
from  the  war,  a  group  of  five  men  were  slowly  making  their 
way  up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois.  These  were  "Abbe 
Jean  Cavelier,  La  Salle's  eldest  brother;  his  nephew,  Father 
Anastasius  Douay,  a  Recollect  of  the  Franciscan  Order;  Teis- 
sier, a  mariner;  and  Henri  de  Joutel,  historian.  As  they  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  they  observed  the 
physical  features  and  described  them  very  accurately.  They 
approached  Fort  St.  Louis  about  the  middle  of  September,  1687. 

These  five  men  were  the  remnants  of  a  band  of  followers  of 
La  Salle  who  escaped  assassination  at  the  hands  of  the  con- 
spirators who  had  killed  their  chief.  They  banded  themselves 
together  under  the  leadership  of  Abbe  Cavelier,  and  determined 
to  reach  Fort  St.  Louis.  They  agreed  that  they  would  not  reveal 
the  death  of  La  Salle  to  any  one  at  Fort  St.  Louis.  They  were 
joyfully  received  by  Sier  de  Belief ontaine,  a  lieutenant  of  Tonti; 
the  latter  had  not  yet  returned  from  the  attack  on  the  Iroquois. 

The  five  travelers  were  royally  treated  by  the  people  at  the 
fort.  When  asked  if  La  Salle  was  coming  to  Fort  St.  Louis, 
they  evaded  the  question  by  saying  they  left  him  on  the  way  and 
that  they  were  not  advised  as  to  his  plans,  but  that  all  was  well 
and  that  they  thought  it  was  his  intention  to  come  soon  to  Fort 
St.  Louis.  At  this  time  the  Jesuit  Father  Allouez  was  at  the  fort 
in  ill  health.  He  was  visited  by  the  two  priests  and  Joutel.  He 
was  very  uneasy  and  inquired  particularly  about  La  Salle. 
When  told  that  La  Salle  might  come  to  the  fort  at  any  time  he 
is  said  to  have  been  visibly  agitated. 

Abbe  Cavelier  was  desirous  of  proceeding  to  Quebec  where 
he  wished  to  take  passage  for  France  before  the  winter  weather 
should  arrive,  so  he  remained  only  three  days  at  Fort  St.  Louis, 
whence  he  proceeded  on  his  journey.  His  party  reached  Chi- 
cago, but  on  account  of  the  weather  conditions,  they  returned 
to  Fort  St.  Louis  about  the  7th  of  October.  Tonti  returned 
from  his  war  on  the  Iroquois  on  October  the  27th  and  gave 
Cavelier's  party  a  cordial  greeting.  Winter  came  on  rapidly 
and  with  it  the  coming  to  the  fort  of  several  Frenchmen,  who 
were  friends  of  Tonti.  It  is  said  that  game  was  plentiful  and 
that  there  was  an  abundance  of  nuts,  acorns,  and  other  forms 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  107 

of  forest  foods.  The  winter  was  spent  at  the  fort  much  as  it 
might  have  been  spent  in  the  homeland  about  a  castle  in  the 
middle  ages.  "Merry  companies  sallied  forth  upon  the  frozen 
river  at  daybreak,  drawing  light  sledges,  which  they  brought 
back  to  the  fort  at  nightfall  laden  with  deer.  Of  our  living 
there  was  no  complaint  to  make,  except  that  we  had  nothing  but 
water  to  drink."  The  day  time  was  occupied  by  hunting  parties 
and  the  nights  at  the  fort  by  parties  about  the  cherry  log  fires  in 
the  huts  within  the  palisade.  "Within,  soldier  and  priest,  trap- 
per and  native,  mingled  together  and  related  tales  of  foray  and 
ambuscade,  of  stormy  ocean  voyages  and  weary  journeys  through 
the  wilderness.  Without,  the  snow  lay  deed  on  all  the  land  of 
the  Illinois,  and  the  nearest  white  men  were  at  the  little  mission 
at  the  head  of  Green  Bay. 

In  the  spring  of  1688  the  parties  which  had  wintered  in  the 
fort  began  to  break  up.  Cavelier  was  anxious  for  fear  the  truth 
would  come  to  light  about  the  death  of  La  Salle.  Allouez  was 
as  anxious  to  get  away  as  was  Cavelier.  Cavelier  made  his  way 
to  Lake  Michigan,  thence  to  Mackinac,  and  thence  to  Quebec; 
from  here  he  sailed  to  France  late  in  the  fall  of  1688. 

Tonti  was  left  at  Fort  St.  Louis  hoping  each  day  of  a  long 
summer  to  hear  something  of  La  Salle.  But  late  in  the  fall  of 
1688  a  Frenchman  and  two  natives  arrived  at  the  fort  and  re- 
vealed the  truth  about  La  Salle.  Tonti  was  indignant  that  Abbe 
Cavelier  should  do  him  the  great  injustice  to  tell  him  indirectly 
that  La  Salle  was  still  alive  and  well.  He  immediately  planned 
an  expedition  to  rescue  the  remnant  of  La  Salle's  colonists  on 
Matagorda  Bay.  After  undergoing  many  hardships  he  came  to 
an  Indian  village  probably  in  what  is  now  Louisiana  where  the 
natives  told  him  the  story  of  the  death  of  La  Salle  at  the  hand  of 
conspirators.  They  also  told  of  the  death  of  the  conspirators  at 
the  hands  of  natives.  Tonti  went  further  toward  the  mouth  of 
the  river  but  eventually  returned  to  Fort  St.  Louis. 

Tonti  was  now  alone  in  the  world  so  far  as  early  associations 
were  concerned.  He  remained  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  but  his  inter- 
ests could  not  be  protected  now  as  they  once  could  under  the  grant 
to  La  Salle.  Denonville,  governor  of  Canada,  is  not  the  friend 
to  Tonti  that  he  at  first  appeared  to  be.  The  governor  made  un- 
favorable reports  to  the  King  as  to  Tonti's  pretensions  at  the  fort 
and  the  King  replied  that  Tonti's  control  in  that  section  might 
be  annulled.  Yet  in  1690  the  King  granted  Fort  St.  Louis  to 
Tonti  and  La  Forest,  formerly  a  lieutenant  to  La  Salle.  Here 
these  two  carried  on  a  fur  trade  for  several  years  which  must 
have  been  at  times  very  remunerative.  La  Forest  operated  at 
what  is  now  Chicago. 

When  La  Salle  departed  from  Matagorda  Bay  to  go  to  his 
fort  on  the  Illinois  River,  he  left  some  thirty  colonists  at  that 
place.    This  was  in  1687.    They  had  a  fort  and  cannon  with  sucn 


108  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

provision  and  equipment  as  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck  of 
one  of  their  vessels  in  the  harbor.  Life  was  monotonous  and 
insecure  as  they  were  surrounded  by  the  most  savage  Indians, 
and  besides  they  were  on  Spanish  soil.  The  Spanish  government 
sent  out  as  many  as  four  ships  from  Vera  Cruz  to  search  for  this 
colony,  but  the  distance  of  the  settlement  inland  from  the  coast 
prevented  those  on  the  ships  from  locating  them.  But  in  1689 
the  Viceroy  of  Mexico  sent  Alonzo  de  Leon  into  the  Texas  coun- 
try to  find  and  capture  this  French  settlement  as  intruders  upon 
Spanish  soil.  After  days  of  marching  under  the  guidance  of  a 
French  prisoner,  they  espied  the  settlement.  There  was  no  flag 
flying,  no  sentries  posted,  no  living  beings  to  be  seen.  The  proud 
Spanish  horsemen  rushed  through  the  gates  of  the  palisade  to 
find  everything  in  ruins — broken  boxes,  rusty  kettles,  ruined  bar- 
rels, guns  and  household  articles  scattered  in  all  directions.  Books 
were  torn  and  trampled  in  the  mud,  and  on  the  prairie  near  the 
corpses  of  men  and  women.  The  Indians  stood  about  in  utter 
unconcern  and  in  apparent  ignorance  of  what  had  happened. 
But  there  were  present  two  Frenchmen  who  were  concerned  in 
the  murder  of  La  Salle  who  were  dressed  as  the  Indians  who 
stood  about.  These  were  taken  into  custody  by  the  Spanish  com- 
mander. They  explained  that  some  three  months  ago  a  band 
of  Indians  savagely  attacked  the  French  colonists  and  killed 
most  of  them.  Some  half  dozen  persons,  including  two  young 
girls  from  Paris,  were  spared.  The  two  Frenchmen  told  Leon 
that  they  came  to  the  ruined  village  and  buried  fourteen  of  the 
dead  bodies.  These  two  Frenchmen  were  sent  to  Spain  as  cap- 
tives and  the  Indians  were  forced  to  give  up  all  their  French 
prisoners  to  the  Spanish  commander.  Thus  perished  La  Salle  s 
colony  on  Matagorda  Bay. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PERMANENT  SETTLEMENTS 

The  First  Kaskaskia — Biloxi  Founded — The  New  Kaskaskia 
— Louisiana  Granted  to  Crozat — The  Western  Country 
— Fort  Chartres — Resume 

The  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  was  established  at  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  across  the 
Illinois  from  Starved  Rock,  Thursday,  April  11th,  1675, 
by  Father  James  Marquette,  S.  J.  On  that  day  he  said  Mass 
and  formally  gave  the  mission  the  above  name,  and  on  Sunday 
the  14th,  which  was  Easter  Sunday,  he  said  Mass  the  second 
time.  On  taking  his  departure,  Marquette  promised  he  would 
return  or  another  would  come  in  his  place.  The  records  are 
not  continuous  but  it  is  clear  that  Father  Claude  Jean  Allouez, 
S.  J.,  was  sent  to  the  Immaculate  Conception  where  he  arrived 
April  27,  1677.  Upon  his  arrival  there  he  erected  a  cross  25  feet 
high  and  preached  to  hundreds  perhaps  thousands  of  people. 
He  remained  there  till  the  early  winter  of  1679  when  he  took 
his  departure  a  few  days  before  La  Salle  reached  the  fort. 

Permanent  Settlements 

Father  James  Gravier,  S.  J.,  succeeded  Father  Allouez  and 
had  charge  of  the  mission  until  1706.  Rev.  Sebastian  Rale,  S.  J., 
was  in  the  mission  temporarily  before  Father  Gravier  came. 
This  was  from  1693  to  1695.  Father  Gravier  was  recalled  and 
two  missionaries,  Fathers  Pierre  Francis  and  Julien  Binnitau 
also  ministered  to  the  mission  at  Kaskaskia  and  at  a  new  mis- 
sion, Angel  Guardian,  at  Chicago,  from  1696  to  1699. 

In  1688  James  II  was  driven  from  the  English  throne.  He 
fled  to  France  where  Louis  XIV  not  only  gave  him  refuge  but 
championed  his  cause,  and  declared  war  on  the  English  with 
the  purpose  of  restoring  James  to  his  throne.  In  1689  William 
of  Orange  and  his  wife  Mary,  the  daughter  of  James  II,  were 
crowned  King  and  Queen  of  England.  The  war  between  the 
French  and  the  English  continued  from  1689  to  1697.  During 
this  war  not  so  much  attention  was  given  to  the  new  acquisi- 
tion, Louisiana,  in  the  New  World.  La  Salle  had  been  mur- 
dered in  1687,  and  the  miserable  remnant  of  his  colony  at  Mata- 
gorda Bay  had  been  ruthlessly  massacred  by  the  Indians,  and 
the  Spanish  and  later  the  English  were  jealously  planning  to 
drive  the  French  from  the  Lower  Mississippi  Valley. 

109 


110  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

But  the  French  government  was  too  absorbed  in  European 
politics,  court  intrigues,  financial  difficulties,  and  foreign  wars 
to  pay  much  attention  to  its  American  possessions  until  it  was 
too  late;  monopolies  and  official  corruption,  both  at  home  and 
in  the  colonies,  prevented  healthy  growth,  and  emigration  was 
not  made  attractive.  Besides,  the  French  people  loved  "La 
Belle  France"  too  much  to  emigrate  in  large  numbers.  The 
pliant  yielding  to  circumstances  and  the  courteous  tact  that 
recommended  the  French  to  the  Indians,  sprung  from  traits  of 
character  that  tended  to  disqualify  them  for  overcoming  the 
greatest  of  difficulties.  There  were  too  few  Champlains  and 
La  Salles. 

In  1699  a  new  figure  appears  upon  the  scene  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  This  was  Sieur  le  Moyne  d'  Iberville  who  was 
born  in  Montreal  at  the  early  date  of  1661.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  the  Canadian  wilds,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  was 
sent  to  France  and  was  trained  and  educated  as  a  naval  and 
military  commander.  He  commanded  a  frigate  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  reduced  two  strong  English  forts  on  Hudson  Bay 
in  1695-7,  and  in  1698  was  commissioned  by  the  French  gov- 
ernment to  open  communications  between  France  and  the  in- 
terior of  Louisiana.  This  commission  conferred  authority  to 
do  the  very  thing  that  La  Salle  gave  up  his  life  to  accomplish 
only  a  dozen  years  before. 

Iberville  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  with  a  col- 
ony in  the  summer  of  1699.  He  searched  dilligently  for  some 
sign  of  La  Salle's  lost  colony  but  gave  up  in  despair  of  finding 
any  trace  of  it.  He  ascended  the  Mississippi  in  two  boats.  P.e 
was  accompanied  by  his  brother,  Bienville,  a  young  man  not 
yet  twenty  years  old,  and  by  a  Franciscan  monk  who  had  trav- 
ersed the  river  with  La  Salle  some  years  before.  On  reaching 
an  Indian  village  Iberville  was  given  a  letter  by  a  chief  which 
Tonti  had  written  to  La  Salle  in  1686  while  he  was  in  search  of 
La  Salle's  colony. 

Biloxi  Founded. 

Not  finding  a  suitable  place  to  found  a  settlement,  Iberville 
returned  to  the  gulf  and  coasting  east  established  himself  at 
Biloxi,  some  forty  miles  west  of  the  mouth  of  Mobile  Bay.  He 
took  possession  in  the  name  of  his  king  of  all  the  coast  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  regions  about  Pensacola. 

The  news  of  the  activity  of  Iberville  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  soon  found  its  way  to  the  Kaskaskia  village  and  to 
Fort  St.  Louis.  Tonti  was  impatient  of  his  partnership  with 
Le  Forest.  The  Indians  had  all  scattered  from  the  locality  of 
the  fort,  but  there  were  yet  about  twenty  French-Canadians 
who  were  cultivating  their  grants  about  the  fort.  Monette,  in 
Volume  I  of  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  points  out  that  the 
French-Canadians  were  already  moving  south  and  west  toward 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


111 


more  fertile  soil  and  more  moderate  climate.  Word  that  the 
French  were  settling  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  only  in- 
tensified the  general  unrest,  and  accelerated  the  movement 
toward  the  south. 

The  New  Kaskaskia 

The  great  numbers  at  Kaskaskia  village  to  whom  Father  Mar- 
quette preached  in  1675  had  dwindled  to  a  few  hundred  if  not  to 
a  few  score.  The  Kaskaskia  tribe  and  the  Peorias  had  sepa- 
rated and  even  the  Kaskaskias  had  divided  up  and  certain  groups 
had  gone  south.     In  1699  Father  Gravier,  who  had  ministered 


SUSPENSION  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  KASKASKIA  AT  CARLYLE 


to  the  Mission  at  Kaskaskia,  was  recalled  to  Mackinaw.  In 
1700  he  was  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  When  he 
approached  the  Kaskaskia  village  September  8,  1700,  he  found 
them  all  astir  making  ready  to  depart  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  mission  at  that  time  was  in  charge  of  Father 
Pierre  Gabriel  Marest,  S.  J.  Father  Gravier  was  displeased 
that  the  village  was  to  be  abandoned  but  his  pleadings  to  the 
savages  to  remain  were  in  vain.  He  seems  to  have  traveled 
with  them  four  days  and  then  to  have  gone  forward  with  Fa- 
ther Marest.  When  they  reached  the  village  of  Cahokia  they 
halted  for  rest  and  refreshment,  as  Father  Marest  was  quite 
ill.  Father  Gravier  proceeded  on  his  way  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  body  of  Kaskaskians  came  on  apace  and  when 
they  approached  the  junction  of  the  present  Kaskaskia  River 
with  the  Mississippi,  they  seem  to  have  crossed  the  narrowest 


112  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

place,  a  sort  of  portage,  and  settled  between  the  two  rivers. 
The  new  place  of  settlement  came  to  be  known  as  Kaskaskia, 
and  the  small  river  also  took  on  the  name  Kaskaskia,  which  it 
has  kept  to  this  day. 

It  is  very  certain  that  Tonti  abandoned  Fort  St.  Louis  in 
the  year  of  1700.  Bancroft  says  he  was  accompanied  by  twenty 
Canadian  residents  of  Illinois.  It  may  be  easily  conjectured 
that  these  twenty  Canadians  are  the  same  twenty  who  held 
grants  at  the  fort  and  who,  when  their  master  prepared  to  go 
to  the  new  center  of  French  interests  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, desired  also  to  move  to  the  new  settlement. 

A  war  raged  between  England  and  France  from  1702  to  1713 
known  as  the  "War  of  the  Spanish  Succession."  In  America 
we  know  it  was  "Queen  Anne's  War."  During  this  war  the 
French  must  have  been  so  occupied  that  they  gave  little  atten- 
tion to  their  colonists  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  Illinois 
settlements  were  allowed  to  go  their  way  and  care  for  them- 
selves. Father  Pinet  established  a  mission  at  the  village  of 
Cahokia  just  below  East  St.  Louis,  probably  about  the  same 
time  that  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the 
present  Kaskaskia  River.  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  were  there- 
fore the  first  permanent  settlements  in  Illinois.  Fort  St.  Louis 
was  abandoned,  and  Peoria  was  never  occupied  continuously  by 
white  people  in  the  seventeenth  century.  The  war  called  Queen 
Anne's  war  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a  treaty  in  1713.  When 
it  was  seen  in  France  that  the  war  would  end  there  was  a  revival 
of  interest  in  the  matter  of  colonization  and  trade  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi valley.  Wonderful  stories  were  coming  to  France  as 
to  the  wealth  of  this  new  religion. 

Louisiana  Granted  to  Crozat 

The  king  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  an  easier 
task  for  an  individual  to  protect  and  develop  the  Louisiana 
country  than  for  the  government  to  do  so,  since  the  government 
had  been  almost  continually  in  war  for  the  past  quarter  of  a 
century.  In  casting  about  for  such  a  man  as  La  Salle,  he  se- 
lected one  Sieur  Anthony  Crozat,  a  man  of  large  financial  expe- 
rience, a  generous  minded  man,  and  one  who  had  done  so  much 
for  the  king  that  Louis  felt  he  owed  Crozat  a  debt  which  he 
could  pay  in  no  better  way  than  to  grant  him  Louisiana.  As- 
cordingly  on  the  14th  of  September,  1712,  the  king  caused  to 
be  issued  to  Sieur  Anthony  Crozat  a  commercial  patent  covering 
all  business  transactions  within  the  Louisiana  Territory  for 
a  period  of  fifteen  years.  There  is  a  sort  of  preamble  which 
reviews  the  history  of  the  territory  since  the  days  of  La  Salle, 
and  then  the  document  proceeds:  "We  have  resolved  to  grant 
the  commerce  of  the  country  of  Louisiana  to  Sieur  Anthony 
Crozat,  our  councillor,  secretary  of  the  household,  crown,  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  113 

revenue,  to  whom  we  intrust  the  execution  of  this  project.  We 
are  the  more  readily  inclined  hereunto,  because  his  zeal,  and  the 
singular  knowledge  he  has  acquired  in  maritime  commerce, 
encourage  us  to  hope  for  as  good  success  as  he  has  hitherto  had 
in  the  divers  and  sundry  enterprises  he  has  gone  upon,  and 
which  have  procured  to  our  Kingdom  great  quantities  of  gold 
and  silver — We  by  these  presents  signed  by  our  hand,  have 
appointed  and  do  appoint,  the  said  Sieur  Crozat,  solely  to  carry 
on  a  trade  in  all  the  lands  possessed  by  us,  and  bounded  by  New 
Mexico  and  by  the  lands  of  the  English  Carolina,  all  the  estab- 
lishments, ports,  havens,  rivers,  and  principally  the  port  and 
haven  of  the  Isle  Dauphine,  heretofore  Massacre;  the  river  of 
St.  Louis,  heretofore  called  Mississippi,  from  the  edge  of  the 
sea,  as  far  as  the  Illinois;  together  with  the  River  St.  Philip, 
heretofore  called  the  Missouri,  and  of  St.  Jerome,  heretofore 
called  Ouabache,  with  all  of  the  countries,  territories,  lakes, 
within  land,  and  the  rivers  which  fall  directly,  or  indirectly, 
into  that  part  of  the  river  St.  Louis." 

Then  follows  the  Articles,  Abridged : 

All  lands,  countries,  streams,  rivers  and  islands  shall  remain 
under  the  name  of  the  government  of  Louisiana,  which  shall  be 
dependent  upon  the  government  of  New  France,  to  which  it  is 
subordinate. 

Crozat  is  permitted  to  search  for,  open,  and  dig  all  sorts  of 
mines  veins,  and  minerals  throughout  all  of  Louisiana  and  trans- 
port the  same  to  France  for  a  period  of  fifteen  year. 

Crozat  is  to  pay  to  the  King's  treasury  the  fifth  part  of  all 
gold,  silver,  or  other  valuables  transported  to  France,  and  one- 
tenth  of  all  that  is  kept  in  the  Louisiana  country. 

He  is  also  permitted  to  search  for  precious  stones  and  pearls, 
paying  one-fifth  of  the  valuables  found  to  the  king. 

All  mines,  veins,  or  other  deposits  shall  revert  to  the  king  if 
the  grantee  fails  for  three  years  to  work  the  same. 

Edicts  ordinances,  and  customs  and  the  usages  of  the  gov- 
ernment of  Paris  shall  be  the  laws  and  customs  in  the  said  coun- 
try of  Louisiana. 

Dated  September  14,  1712. 

LOUIS. 

Crozat  was  to  bear  all  expenses  and  run  all  risks.  The  grant 
was  only  a  grant  of  the  commerce  and  did  not  include  any  con- 
trol of  lands  so  far  as  making  grants  to  individuals  was  con- 
cerned. The  territory  included  in  general  all  the  territory  which 
is  drained  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  Today  we 
understand  that  the  wealth  of  any  country  is  in  its  soil,  but  in 
all  the  planning  of  King  and  Crozat  there  is  no  word  about 
cultivation  of  the  soil.  There  was,  of  course,  a  temporary  profit 
in  furs,  but  even  the  fur  trade  was  held  as  only  a  makeshift  in 
comparison  to  the  wealth  which  would  be  derived  from  the  mines 


114  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones — to  say  nothing  of  the  wealth 
of  the  pearls  to  be  gathered  on  all  hands. 

Crozat  came  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  soon  associated  with 
himself  La  Motte  Cadillac  who  at  that  time  was  governor  of  the 
Louisiana  Territory.  These  two  men  had  great  achievements  to 
their  credit.  Cadillac  was  a  famous  pioneer  of  New  France  and 
had  governed  the  station  at  Mackinaw  and  later  founded  Detroit 
and  was  now  in  a  position  of  power  and  great  responsibility. 
Crozat  had  astonished  all  Europe  with  his  financial  success.  If 
there  was  any  wealth  in  the  Louisiana  country  these  two  men 
controlled  the  agencies  of  its  production — one  the  business 
sagacity,  the  other  the  authority  to  manipulate  political  power. 
Bancroft  tells  how  two  pieces  of  silver  ore  had  been  left  at  Kas- 
kaskia  with  the  story  that  they  had  been  taken  from  the  mines 
in  the  Illinois  Country.  Crozat  and  Cadillac  rushed  from  place 
to  place  to  investigate  wild  rumors  about  gold  and  silver.  They 
sent  men  on  investigating  tours  and  did  locate  wealth  in  the 
lead,  copper,  and  iron  deposits  within  the  limits  of  their  grant. 

Crozat  had  brought  many  men  into  the  territory  with  the 
expectation  of  digging  precious  metals.  Not  finding  employment 
along  these  lines,  they  had  taken  up  various  kinds  of  work.  Some 
had  gone  to  cultivating  the  soil,  some  had  gone  into  the  fur  trade, 
some  to  trading  with  English  adventurers  who  came  into  the 
territory.  Cadillac  died  and  was  later  succeeded  by  Bienville, 
brother  to  Iberville,  the  first  governor  of  Louisiana.  The  new 
governor  and  Crozat  did  not  work  harmonously  and  after  com- 
plete discouragement,  and  finding  he  had  lost  125,000  livres,  he 
resigned  his  charter  to  the  crown.  At  that  time  there  were  not 
more  than  380  whites  on  the  lower  Mississippi  and  about  320 
in  the  Illinois  Country. 

The  Western  Country 

Crozat  surrendered  his  charter  in  1717.  This  was.  apparently 
a  very  fortunate  time,  for  all  France  was  stirred  by  the  presence 
of  a  great  financier  in  Paris  who  brought  forth  schemes  whereby 
France  might  pay  her  debt  of  3,000,000,000  livres.  At  the  death 
of  Louis  XIV  in  1715  his  grandson,  a  lad  of  five  years,  came 
nominally  to  the  throne  under  the  regency  of  the  Duke  of  Or- 
leans. The  regent  was  greatly  troubled  and  was  ready  for  any 
suggestions  which  would  relieve  him  of  his  financial  embarrass- 
ment. 

John  Law  was  a  Scotchman,  the  son  of  a  banker  in  Edin- 
burgh. He  had  studied  finance,  and  was  a  theorist  of  the  first 
order.  His  theory  was  that  if  a  nation  is  financially  embarrassed 
it  is  from  lack  of  a  circulating  medium — make  more  money.  He 
came  into  France  a  short  time  before  Crozat  relinquished  his 
charter.    Law  secured  the  right  to  organize  a  great  bank  which 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  115 

for  a  while  seemed  to  present  the  means  by  which  the  nation's 
debts  might  be  liquidated. 

When  Crozat  relinquished  his  charter  the  Louisiana  Territory 
was  granted  to  the  Western  Company,  a  great  scheme  worked 
out  by  John  Law,  the  banker.  This  Western  Company  was  able 
to  sell  its  stock  to  the  people  of  France  and  "although  the  union 
of  the  bank  with  the  hazards  of  a  commercial  company  was  an 
omen  of  the  fate  of  the  system,  public  credit  seemed  restored 
as  if  by  a  miracle."  Three  great  undertakings  to  develop  the 
Louisiana  region  had  been  championed  respectively  by  La  Salle, 
Iberville,  and  Crozat;  and  yet  while  each  had  practically  failed 
the  enthusiasm  in  France  was  not  a  whit  abated.  "The  vision 
of  a  fertile  empire,  with  its  plantations,  manors,  cities,  and  busy 
wharves,  a  monopoly  of  commerce  throughout  all  French  North 
America,  the  certain  products  of  the  richest  silver  mines  and 
mountains  of  gold,  were  blended  in  the  French  mind  into  one 
boundless  promise  of  untold  treasure." 

In  the  early  part  of  1718  three  ships  with  800  emigrants  cast 
anchor  near  Dauphine  Island  at  the  mouth  of  Mobile  Bay.  In 
the  same  summer  Bienville  selected  the  spot  where  New  Orleans 
now  is  and  had  begun  to  lay  out  the  city.  One  of  the  things  of 
prime  interest  to  the  new  comers  was  to  establish  the  claims  of 
France  as  far  east  and  west  along  the  coast  as  they  could.  They 
persistently  claimed  the  Rio  Grande  as  the  western  limit  of  the 
Louisiana  Territory,  and  likewise  Pensacola  Bay  as  the  eastern 
limit. 

Of  the  800  emigrants  who  landed  on  Dauphine  Island  in  the 
fall  of  1818,  many  died,  some  deserted  to  the  English  in  the  Caro- 
linas,  and  others  dispersed  among  the  Indians.  A  few  were 
planted  in  colonies  along  the  lower  Mississippi. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  Illinois  Country.  Kaskaskia,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia  River  was  the  center  from  which 
missionaries  went  out  to  other  parts.  Fathers  Bineteau,  Pinet, 
Marest,  and  Mermet,  all  gave  their  time  and  their  energies  to 
the  work  of  the  church  in  the  south  end  of  what  is  now  Illinois. 
Pinet  established  a  mission  at  Cahokia,  probably  in  the  fall  of 
1699.  It  is  said  he  was  so  popular  as  a  preacher  that  his  chapel 
was  insufficient  to  hold  all  that  came.  Father  Bineteau  on  one 
occasion  accompanied  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  on  a  hunting  expe- 
dition in  the  country  of  "upland  plains  of  the  Mississippi"  where 
he  died.    Father  Pinet  died  soon  after. 

The  best  information  as  to  the  life  at  the  Kaskaskia  village 
from  1700  to  about  1718  is  indeed  unsatisfactory,  but  there  are 
some  things  which  we  know  for  a  certainty.  The  church  rec- 
ords of  the  Immaculate  Conception  were  recently  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  resident  priest  on  the  island  of  Kaskaskia.  The  record 
of  baptisms  has  been  translated  and  appears  in  the  publica- 


116  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tions  of  the  State  Historical  Library,  Volume  No.  9,  page  394. 
In  these  records,  which  reach  back  to  1692,  we  can  tell  fairly  well 
who  was  priest  in  charge  at  various  dates : 

March  20,  1692 James  Gravier 

May  13,  1697 Julian  Bineteau 

December  7,  1699____ Gabriel  Marest 

April  13,  1703 James  Gravier 

November  14,  1703 Gabriel  Marest 

January  19,  1707 J.  P.  Mermet 

September  9,  1709 Gabriel  Marest 

April  16,  1712 J.  M.  de  Viller 

November  24,  1712 Jo  Mermet 

June  17,  1719 Le  Boullenger,  S.  J. 

Chaplain  of  the  Troops 

July  19,  1720 De  Beaubois 

This  priest  was  in  charge  from  July,  1720,  to  July,  1721. 
As  early  as  1711  Father  Marest  left  Kaskaskia  on  Good  Fri- 
day for  Peoria  which  he  reached  twelve  days  later.  Here  he 
took  charge  of  the  mission  but  it  does  not  appear  that  there  were 
any  white  people  then  living  in  Peoria.  The  Peoria  settlement 
never  seemed  to  prosper  as  many  other  settlements  did. 

In  some  instances  it  is  difficult  to  determine  whether  or  not 
the  early  settled  towns  have  been  occupied  continuously.  This 
is  true  as  to  Peoria.  It  is  true  also  of  Fort  Massac.  There  is 
pretty  good  evidence  that  Fort  Massac  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Tennessee  was  visited  as  early  as  1701  by  Father  Mermet  who 
was  accompanied  by  Juchereau  de  St.  Denis,  a  fur  trader.  The 
point  was  chosen  it  is  said  by  both  the  trader  and  the  priest, 
because  it  could  be  reached  by  Indians  coming  down  the  Ten- 
nessee and  the  Cumberland  from  the  south  and  by  those  coming 
down  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash  as  well  as  those  from  the  lower 
Ohio  and  the  Mississippi.  The  site  of  "Old  Fort  Massac"  was 
indeed  well  chosen.  Standing  on  the  fort,  one  may  see  down  the 
river  ten  or  twelve  miles,  while  looking  up  the  Ohio  the  view 
is  unobstructed  for  more  than  a  dozen  miles.  It  is  stated  that 
Charlevoix,  the  historian,  reports  that  as  early  as  1700  the 
French  had  established  a  trading  post  at  the  mouth  of  the 
"Quabache"  which,  as  he  said,  discharges  into  the  Mississippi. 
Of  course  the  site  of  "Old  Fort  Massac"  is  not  "near"  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio  as  we  might  use  the  word,  but  this  site  is  the  only 
one  which  meets  all  the  requirements  of  the  story. 

Mrs.  Mathew  T.  Scott,  president  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  in  a  paper  read  before  the  State  Historical 
Society  and  found  in  the  Transactions  for  the  year,  1903,  says: 
"In  August,  1702,  M.  Juchereau  de  St.  Denis,  accompanied  by 
thirty-four  Canadians,  including  Father  Mermet,  departed  from 
the  Mission  at  Kaskaskia,  in  the  Illinois,  on  his  expedition  to 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  117 

form  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  where  he  proposed 
to  engage  in  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians. 

Father  Mermet  established  a  branch  mission  which  was  called 
Assumption.  It  was  the  pious  custom  of  the  period  to  dedicate 
to  the  patronage  of  some  saint  such  works  and  enterprises  as 
this.  The  feast  of  the  Assumption  is  celebrated  in  the  Catholic 
Church  on  August  15,  so  it  is  probable  that  the  post  and  mission 
of  the  Assumption  was  founded  August  15,  1702.  The  Mas- 
outens  were  the  Indians  who  were  immediately  to  be  reached 
by  both  the  fur  traders  and  the  priests.  It  is  said  that  Juch- 
ereau  died  at  the  fort  which  was  erected  near  the  mission  in  1704. 

It  is  not  easily  established  that  this  point  was  a  permanent 
settlement,  but  tradition  persists  in  saying  that  it  was  con- 
tinuously occupied  till  the  French  and  Indian  war  when  the 
French  who  were  driven  out  of  Fort  du  Quesne  in  1758  made 
their  way  down  the  Ohio  and  took  refuge  in  this  fort.  The 
outlines  of  the  fort  are  very  distinctly  marked  today  and  the 
general  plan  is  an  exact  copy  of  Fort  Gage,  Fort  Chartres,  and 
Post  Vincents.  It  would  appear  certain  therefore  that  the  fort, 
the  remains  of  which  we  see  today,  was  constructed  about  the 
same  time  that  the  others  were  built,  namely :  sometime  during 
the  French  and  Indian  war. 

The  story  of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  is  not  strictly  speaking  Illi- 
nois history.  But  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
there  were  no  state  lines  and  the  "Illinois  Country"  included 
much  more  than  is  now  included  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  The 
same  influences  which  were  at  work  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  Detroit, 
Green  Bay,  Peoria,  Cahokia,  Kaskaskia  were  at  work  at  Vin- 
cennes. It  will  therefore  not  be  thought  out  of  place  to  call 
attention  to  a  few  traditions  and  facts  about  "Old  Vincennes." 
There  is  indeed  a  very  close  relation  between  the  history  of 
early  Illinois  and  that  of  early  Indiana.  "Old  Kaskaskia"  bears 
very  much  the  same  relation  to  the  State  of  Illinois,  as  "Old 
Vincennes"  bears  to  Indiana.  And  surely  there  has  always  been 
a  very  close  relation  politically  and  otherwise  between  the  two 
states.  They  were  both  included  in  the  grant  of  James  the  first 
of  England  to  the  Virginia  company  in  1609.  They  were  both 
settled  by  French  missionaries  and  French  traders.  They  were 
both  included  in  the  conquest  of  George  Rogers  Clarke  in  1778. 
They  were  both  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  Virginia  in  1784. 
They  were  both  included  in  that  immortal  document,  the  Ordi- 
nance of  1787  as  a  part  of  the  Old  North  West  Territory.  They 
both  constituted  from  1803  to  1809  the  Indiana  Territory,  and 
they  both  came  into  the  union  as  free  states  and  fought  side 
by  side  in  the  War  of  1812,  in  the  great  Civil  war,  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  and  in  the  great  World  war. 

Vincennes,  the  oldest  town  in  Indiana,  was  settled  as  early 


118  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

as  1702,  as  declared  by  Henry  S.  Cauthorn,  who  has  written 
an  interesting  and  what  appears  to  be  an  accurate  history  of 
the  city  of  Vincennes.  He  bases  the  earliest  history  of  the  place 
upon  the  records  to  be  found  in  Quebec.  According  to  this 
writer  Francois  Morgan  de  Vincenne,  an  officer  in  the  French 
service,  was  sent  from  Canada  with  soldiers  to  build  three  forts 
which  would  connect  Canada  with  the  upper  part  of  the  lower 
Mississippi.  The  three  points  selected  were  the  present  site  of 
Fort  Wayne,  the  site  of  Lafayette,  and  of  Vincennes.  The  little 
army  under  Vincennes  reached  the  present  site  of  "Old  Vin- 
cennes" in  1702.  The  little  army  was  accompanied  by  a  Jesuit 
missionary  who  celebrated  Mass  in  the  open  air  in  the  presence 
of  the  troops  and  hundreds  of  Indians  near  the  fort  that  was 
then  probably  under  construction.  The  "Annals  of  Quebec"  con- 
sist of  seventy-two  volumes  of  relations  and  transactions  in 
French,  Latin,  or  Italian,  according  to  the  nationality  of  the 
priest  who  made  the  record.  They  were  translated  into  English 
under  the  supervision  and  editorship  of  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites. 
Mr.  Cauthorn  relies  further  upon  the  testimony  which  he  gath- 
ered from  the  writings  of  Bishop  Brute,  the  first  bishop  of  the 
Vincennes  diocese,  and  upon  other  officials  in  the  Catholic  Church 
who  have  had  access  to  authorities  not  available  to  the  general 
public. 

The  Western  Company  was  unfortunate  as  to  the  first  col- 
onists as  stated  above.  But  the  company  kept  at  the  task  of 
populating  the  interior  of  the  country,  particularly  the  part  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Illinois.  Grant  of  land  were  made  to  indi- 
viduals and  to  small  groups  or  sub-companies.  Law  himself 
received  a  grant  of  thousands  of  acres  on  the  upper  Arkansas 
River.  Upon  this  estate  he  spent  much  treasure.  In  the  mid- 
summer of  1718  as  Bienville  was  coming  down  the  Mississippi 
from  a  tour  of  inspection,  he  selected  the  present  site  of  the 
City  of  New  Orleans  and  named  the  future  southern  metropolis 
after  the  regent,  the  Duke  of  Orleans.  The  place  grew  very 
slowly.  This  was  no  doubt  caused  by  the  fact  that  Mobile  and 
Biloxi  remained  the  center  of  political  authority  for  several  years. 
In  August,  1723,  however,  the  capital  of  Louisiana  was  located 
at  the  new  town  on  the  Mississippi  and  New  Orleans  came 
rapidly  into  prominence. 

Fort  Chartres 

On  one  of  the  vessels  which  landed  on  Dauphine  Island  in 
the  early  part  of  February,  1718,  there  came  to  Louisiana  a 
young  French  Canadian  officer,  Lieutenant  Dugue  de  Boisbriant, 
the  King's  military  representative  in  Louisiana.  He  brought  the 
appointment  of  his  cousin,  Le  Moyne  de  Bienville,  as  governor 
of  Louisiana  to  take  the  place  of  M.  L'Epignay,  removed.  Late 
in  the  fall  of  1718  the  young  commander,  with  a  detachment 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


119 


of  French  soldiers,  took  up  his  voyage  to  the  Illinois  Country 
in  boats.  He  reached  Kaskaskia  in  December,  1718,  and  set  up 
a  military  occupation  of  Illinois.  Here  his  headquarters  re- 
mained for  about  eighteen  months.  One  of  the  first  tasks  ap- 
peared to  be  to  select  a  good  site  for  a  fort  which  would  com- 
mand the  movements  up  and  down  through  the  Mississippi  valley. 
The  place  selected  was  an  alluvial  plain  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  about  sixteen  miles  above  Kaskaskia.  Along  this 
portion  of  the  river's  course  the  stream  runs  parallel  to  the 
bluffs  and  at  a  distance  of  some  three  miles  therefrom.  The 
bluffs  in  this  region  are  very  prominent,  in  some  places  a  hun- 
dred feet  or  more  in  height,  and  abrupt.  There  was  probably 
at  this  early  date  a  trail  running  along  this  valley  at  the  foot 
of  the  bluffs  from  Kaskaskia  to  Cahokia.    The  site  selected  for 


POWDER  MAGAZINE   AT  OLD  FORT  CHARTRES 


the  fort  was  a  half  mile  or  more  from  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
on  ground  that  was  not  subject  to  overflow  except  in  times  of 
very  high  water.  But  between  the  fort  and  the  bluffs  some  two 
and  a  half  or  three  miles  to  northeast  was  a  bayou  of  consider- 
able width  and  extending  parallel  to  the  foot  of  the  bluffs  some 
two  or  three  miles.  The  position  of  the  fort  made  it  easily  de- 
fended on  two  sides — on  the  side  toward  the  river  and  on  the 
side  toward  the  bayou.  In  recent  years  there  have  been  very 
fine  forest  trees  all  along  on  the  ridge  of  alluvial  land  upon  which 
the  old  fort  stood.  Some  critics  have  questioned  the  strategic 
judgment  of  Lieutant  Boisbriant  in  locating  the  fort  on  this 
alluvial  plain,  but  if  one  will  go  on  the  ground  and  make  a  care- 
ful survey  of  the  situation  he  will  see  that  this  fort  absolutely 
controlled  the  movements  up  and  down  the  valley  by  water  and 
by  land. 


120  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

During  the  temporary  headquarters  of  Lieutenant  Boisbriant 
at  Kaskaskia  his  men  were  building  a  fort  at  the  place  selected. 
Tradition  insists  that  there  was  a  sort  of  warehouse  or  block- 
house at  this  place  which  had  been  built  by  Crozat  for  the  pur- 
pose of  protecting  supplies  and  furs.  The  fort  which  Lieutenant 
Boisbriant  built  was  probably  after  this  fashion :  The  fort  was 
laid  out  and  a  trench  was  dug  some  feet  deep  in  which  logs 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high  were  placed  on  end  as  close  together 
as  possible.  Another  trench  a  foot  or  more  outside  of  the  first 
one  was  dug  and  into  it  likewise  was  placed  another  row  of  pali- 
sade logs.  The  space  in  between  was  filled  with  earth  and 
tamped  in,  making  a  substantial  defense  against  any  form  of 
attack  short  of  cannon.  The  area  inside  the  palisade  was  large 
enough  to  contain  officers'  quarters,  barracks,  supply  houses,  and 
store  houses  for  the  use  of  the  Western  Company.  The  defense 
work  was  known  as  Fort  Chartres,  probably  in  honor  of  the  son 
of  the  Regent  whose  title  was  Due  de  Chartres.  The  com- 
mandant's headquarters  were  moved  to  the  fort  in  the  early 
part  of  1720. 

Just  near  the  fort  there  grew  up  a  village  occupied  probably 
by  a  few  French  traders  with  their  Indian  wives  and  their  chil- 
dren. The  name  of  the  village  was  New  Chartres.  The  popula- 
tion must  have  grown  considerably  as  a  "chapel  at  ease"  was 
early  established  and  later  a  church  was  known  as  St.  Anne's 
Parish.  Recently  the  records  of  the  parish  were  in  the  keeping 
of  the  priest  in  charge  of  the  Prairie  du  Rocher  Church.  An 
interesting  part  of  these  records  is  the  part  that  records  mar- 
riages that  were  celebrated  at  the  St.  Anne  Church.  These 
records  show  that  many  of  the  witnesses  to  the  marriages  were 
men  of  high  rank  in  the  military  establishment.  On  one  page 
the  author  observed  the  signature  of  Captain  Neyon  de  Villier, 
a  brother  of  Jumonville  de  Villier,  who  was  killed  in  an  engage- 
ment near  Fort  du  Quesne  May  28,  1754,  with  Virginia  troops 
commanded  by  George  Washington. 

There  was  a  very  close  relation  between  the  government  in 
France  and  the  Western  Company.  The  Regent  was  easily  per- 
suaded by  John  Law  to  render  any  assistance  which  the  com- 
pany needed  in  its  efforts  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  Louisi- 
ana Territory.  To  further  these  interests  a  sort  of  sub-company 
called  the  "Company  of  St.  Phillip"  was  organized  in  Paris  hav- 
ing particularly  for  their  aim  the  development  of  the  mining 
interests  of  the  Louisiana  Territory.  At  the  head  of  this  com- 
pany was  placed  Phillipe  Francois  de  Renault,  a  man  of  fortune 
and  one  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  mining.  He  was  authorized 
to  proceed  to  America  and  carry  to  completion  the  plans  which 
had  so  miserably  failed  under  Crozat.  He  brought  with  him  200 
miners  and  a  full  complement  of  machines  and  tools.  On  his 
way  he  stopped  at  the  island  of  St.  Domingo  and  bought  500 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  121 

Guinea  negroes  and  brought  them  into  the  Louisiana  Country. 
Many  of  these  were  left  around  New  Orleans  and  along  the  lower 
Mississippi  but  a  goodly  number  was  brought  to  Fort  Chartres. 
Here  he  arrived  in  the  year  1720.  He  immediately  sent  his  men 
out  in  all  directions  to  search  for  precious  metals.  He  kept  up 
a  vigorous  investigation  for  two  or  more  years,  and  finding  noth- 
ing but  lead,  he  bethought  himself  of  the  necessity  of  putting 
his  laborers  to  wor1^  raising  something  upon  which  to  live  till 
a  fortune  should  be  found  in  mines  of  precious  metals. 

Accordingly  a  grant  of  land  was  made  to  Renault  three  miles 
wide  abutting  on  the  Mississippi  River  and  extending  back  into 
the  country  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  river  a  distance  of  six 
miles.  Upon  this  grant  there  was  a  village,  St.  Philippe.  A 
chapel  was  built  and  also  a  watermill.  This  grant  was  made  by 
Boisbriant  representing  the  King  and  Des  Ursins  on  behalf  of 
the  Western  Company.  Settlers  were  encouraged  to  build  homes 
on  this  grant  and  to  cultivate  the  soil.  This  grant  was  two  or 
three  miles  above  Fort  Chartres.  The  ownership  of  this  land  has 
been  the  cause  of  much  litigation — the  legal  titles  being  in 
dispute. 

About  four  miles  nearly  east  of  Fort  Chartres  was  located  the 
village  of  Prairie  du  Rocher.  This  village  was  on  a  grant  made 
to  Boisbriant  which  he  afterward  transferred  to  other  parties. 
In  all  these  grants  to  villages  there  was  a  commons  and  a  com- 
mon field.  In  the  commons  there  was  pasturage  and  firewood 
and  in  the  common  field  there  were  allotments  of  ground  to  the 
villagers.  Prairie  du  Rocher  was  settled  probably  shortly  after 
1721  for  in  this  year  Charlevoix  made  a  trip  down  the  valley 
and  while  he  speaks  of  the  fort  and  of  Kaskaskia  he  does  not 
refer  to  Prairie  du  Rocher,  but  Reynolds  in  his  Pioneer  History 
says  the  date  is  1722. 

The  Western  Company  did  not  succeed  in  finding  precious 
metals  any  better  than  its  predecessors.  Renault  was  very  active 
in  his  search  for  metals  of  value.  He  sent  exploring  parties  into 
the  northern  foot-hills  of  the  Ozarks  in  what  is  now  Jackson 
County.  And  there  is  a  tradition  that  on  Drewry  Creek  in  the 
very  early  days  there  were  open  mines  that  were  said  to  have 
been  the  work  of  Renault's  miners  in  their  search  for  precious 
metals.  Silver  Creek  which  rises  in  Madison  County  and  runs 
south  through  St.  Clair  into  the  Kaskaskia  River  was  named 
from  the  fact  that  the  French  believed  silver  existed  on  this 
creek  and  in  the  early  days  their  excavations  still  were  visible. 
On  St.  Mary's  River  in  Randolph  County  mining  activities  were 
carried  on,  also  in  Monroe  County. 

Probably  the  most  valuable  mineral  which  Renault  found 
within  the  limits  of  Illinois  or  in  any  adjoining  state  was  lead. 
This  metal  was  found  in  Illinois  before  1700.  In  that  year  a 
noted  Frenchman,  La  Sueur,  a  bold  traveler,  on  a  journey  from 


122  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  up  that  stream  visited  the  lead 
mines  on  a  river  which  comes  from  the  north  and  flows  into 
the  Mississippi.  He  said  the  lead  mines  were  seven  leagues  from 
the  Mississippi  River.  He  named  the  river  "The  River  of 
Mines."  The  river  is  now  called  Fever  River.  But  in  an  old 
atlas  of  Illinois  published  in  1876  there  is  a  facsimile  map  of 
Illinois  published  in  the  "American  Atlas  in  1822,"  and  this  map 
shows  what  we  now  call  Fever  River  was  on  that  map  called 
"Mine  River." 

Another  matter  of  interest  with  regard  to  Renault's  search 
for  precious  metals  is  the  fact  that  the  Western  Company  made 
him  a  grant  of  land  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Peoria.  The  United 
States  in  advertising  the  lead  mines  of  Illinois  for  lease  in  1817 
excepted  the  lead  mines  on  the  Pimantoui  Grant  to  Renault  on 
the  Illinois  River.  Now  since  the  lead  mines  of  the  northwest 
corner  of  Illinois  were  known  by  the  French  as  early  as  1700 
— possibly  earlier — it  is  very  probable  that  Renault  worked  these 
mines.  It  is  stated  that  great  quantities  of  lead  were  shipped 
from  the  mines  of  what  is  now  Illinois  and  Missouri  during  the 
period  when  Renault  was  searching  for  precious  metals  in  the 
Illinois  Country.  This  trade  in  lead  was  supplemented  by  a  pros- 
perous trade  in  pelts  and  furs,  flour,  and  outside  of  these  four 
articles  of  trade  there  is  no  record  of  any  commercial  activity. 

John  Law's  great  financial  schemes  in  France  collapsed  in 
May,  1720.  He  was  driven  from  France  and  all  his  possessions 
were  confiscated.  This  of  course  was  a  great  check  upon  the 
Western  Company's  progress  in  Louisiana.  However  the  com- 
pany still  functioned  till  1732  when  the  charter  was  surrendered 
to  the  king  and  Louisiana  became  a  royal  province. 

Resume 

It  will  not  be  amiss  to  restate  the  leading  facts  about  the  activ- 
ities of  the  French  and  Indians  in  the  Illinois  Country  from 
1700  when  Kaskaskia  on  the  river  by  that  name  was  settled  till 
the  surrender  of  the  charter  by  the  Western  Company  on  April 
10,  1732. 

In  1700  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  lived  on  the  Illinois  River  near 
the  present  Town  of  Utica,  LaSalle  County.  St.  Cosme,  a  mis- 
sionary priest  in  a  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Quebec  says  the  Kas- 
kaskia Indians  under  Fathers  Pinet  and  Marest  were  at  Peoria 
on  their  winter  hunt  in  the  early  winter  of  1699.  St.  Cosme  was 
accompanied  by  Tonti  who  had  abandoned  Fort  St.  Louis  and 
was  on  his  way  to  the  French  settlement  at  Biloxi  which  had 
just  been  made. 

Again  in  the  summer  of  1700  LeSueur  was  journeying  up  the 
Mississippi  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  received  a  letter 
written  by  Father  Marest  dated  July  10,  1700,  at  the  Mission 
of  the   Immaculate   Conception   of  the  Blessed  Virgin   at  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  123 

Illinois.  Then  we  have  the  word  of  Father  Gravier  who  made  a 
journey  from  Mackinaw  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  He 
says  he  left  Chicago  September  8,  1700,  and  reached  Kaskaskia 
village  too  late  to  prevent  the  Indians  at  that  time  under  Father 
Marest  from  leaving  their  village  to  go  to  the  settlements  of 
D'Iberville  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  Kaskaskia  Indians  were  found  later,  with  Marest  and 
the  Parish  records,  living  quietly  at  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  on 
the  "Okaw."  It  is  therefore  easy  to  establish  the  fact  that  Kas- 
kaskia on  the  "Okaw"  was  settled  in  the  late  part  of  the  year 
of  1700. 

The  records  as  given  above  show  that  M.  Juchereau  de  St. 
Denis  with  thirty-four  Canadians  established  a  trading  post  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  in  1702.  Father  Mermet  established  a 
branch  mission  at  this  post  which  he  called  the  Mission  of  the 
Assumption.  This  point  occupied  by  the  trading  post  and  by 
the  mission  was  occupied  by  French  till  the  French  and  Indian 
war  when  the  soldiers  retreating  from  Fort  Du  Quesne  built  at 
the  site  of  the  Mission  of  the  Assumption  Fort  Massac  the  ruins 
of  which  still  remain. 

Vincennes  was  also  visited  about  the  year  1702  by  French 
soldiers  from  Quebec  who  established  a  fort  at  the  present  site  of 
Vincennes.  They  were  accompanied  by  a  Jesuit  Father  who  said 
mass  and  from  that  time  forward  the  occupation  of  the  place  can 
be  shown. 

Crozat  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1712  as  the  holder  of  a  grant 
from  Louis  XIV  to  all  the  Territory  of  Louisiana  for  purposes 
of  trade.  He  was  empowered  to  open  mines  and  search  for 
precious  metals  paying  one-fifth  of  what  he  found  to  the  king. 
Individual  fur  traders  became  jealous  of  Crozat  as  the  holder  of 
a  monopoly  and  the  commercial  interests  of  the  Illinois  Country 
were  greatly  crippled.  Crozat's  efforts  were  greatly  opposed 
by  many  interests  and  he  surrendered  his  grant  in  1717. 

The  Western  Company  was  organized  in  France  by  John  Law 
in  1717  and  received  a  grant  to  the  Territory  of  Louisiana  which 
Crozat  had  just  surrendered.  Under  its  patronage  Fort 
Chartres  was  established  and  a  knowledge  of  the  geography  of 
Illinois  greatly  enlarged.  Its  representative,  Renault,  established 
a  village,  St.  Philippe,  on  his  estate  now  in  Monroe  County, 
mining  operations  were  carried  on  throughout  the  country  and 
were  particularly  successful  at  the  lead  mines  near  the  present 
City  of  Galena. 

A  village  of  some  importance  grew  up  very  near  Fort  Chartres 
known  as  New  Chartres,  and  without  doubt  the  Village  of 
Prairie  du  Rocher,  some  four  miles  east  of  the  fort,  was  estab- 
lished before  the  dissolution  of  the  Western  Company  in  1732. 
Cahokia  was  a  flourishing  village  prior  to  1732.  But  the  records 
concerning  this  place  are  scarce.    Peoria  was  not  at  this  time  a 


124  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

center  of  white  settlers.  The  Indians  seem  to  have  congregated 
there,  and  there  was  a  mission  there,  but  it  could  hardly  be 
called  a  permanent  settlement  like  Kaskaskia. 

The  word  Chicago  is  spelled  on  thirteen  different  French 
maps  in  thirteen  different  ways.  These  were  drawn  from  1687 
to  1794.  The  first  cabin  built  in  Chicago  was  probably  the  one 
built  to  shelter  Marquette  in  the  winter  of  1674-5. 

When  Boisbriant  came  in  1818  to  take  possession  of  the  Illi- 
nois Country  and  had  constructed  his  fort,  he  began  to  make 
grants  of  land  on  behalf  of  the  government  and  the  Western 
Company.  These  grants  to  individuals  were  usually  narrow 
strips  extending  back  into  the  country  from  a  river's  front.  The 
old  maps  of  those  portions  of  Illinois  occupied  by  the  French  in 
this  period  show  these  grants.  The  atlas  of  Illinois  published 
by  Werner  and  Beers  of  Chicago  in  1876  show  these  grants  in 
Randolph,  Monroe,  and  St.  Clair  counties.  The  grants  are  num- 
bered and  the  plats  remain  as  they  were  in  the  days  of  French 
occupancy.  Records  were  made  and  deeds  given.  Here  is  the 
copy  of  one  made  very  early,  May  10,  1722 : 

"Pierre  Duquet  de  Boisbriant,  Knight  of  the  Military  Order 
of  Saint  Louis,  and  First  King's  Lieutenant  of  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  commanding  at  the  Illinois,  and  Monsignor  Antoine 
de  la  Loire  Des  Ursins,  principal  commissary  for  the  Royal 
India  Company,  on  demand  of  Charles  Danie  to  grant  him  a 
piece  of  land  of  five  arpents  in  front  of  the  site  of  the  Mitchi- 
gamia  River,  running  north  and  south,  joining  to  Michael  Philip 
on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  to  Meleque,  and  in  depth,  east 
and  west  to  the  Mississippi.  In  consequence  they  do  grant  to 
the  said  Charles  Danie,  in  socage,  the  said  land,  where  on  he 
may  from  this  date  commence  working,  clearing,  and  sowing 
in  expectation  of  a  formal  concession,  which  shall  be  sent  from 
France  by  Messres  the  Directors  of  the  Royal  India  Company, 
and  the  said  land  shall  revert  to  the  domain  of  the  said  company 
if  the  said  Charles  Danie  does  not  work  thereon  within  a  year 
and  a  day.    Given  this  10th  day  of  May  1722. 

Boisbriant, 
Des  Ursins." 

The  settlers  did  not  have  separate  fields  nor  did  they  build 
houses  on  the  cultivated  lands,  but  they  lived  in  villages  on  lots 
of  ground  like  our  village  lots.  These  lots  were  one  arpent  square 
and  were  enclosed  with  pickets.  The  house  was  built  toward  the 
front  part  of  the  lot  with  flower  beds  and  a  few  fruit  trees  next 
to  the  street,  while  the  back  of  the  lot  was  used  for  stables  and 
garden.  The  fields — that  is  the  private  grants — lay  side  by  side 
and  were  never  fenced.  Sometimes  a  small  ditch  would  separate 
one  field  from  the  ones  lying  next  to  it.  It  is  very  interesting 
to  ride  over  the  roads  along  the  bluffs  about  Kaskaskia  and 
Prairie  du  Rocher  and  see  these  narrow  fields  as  distinctly 
marked  off  as  they  were  in  the  days  of  the  Western  Company. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  125 

An  agency  of  great  public  utility  was  early  established  near 
Kaskaskia.  This  was  a  mill  for  grinding  grain.  In  a  humble 
petition  presented  to  the  Commandant  and  Judge  of  the  Country 
of  Illinois  on  the  9th  of  February,  1727,  signed  by  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Kaskaskia,  they  asked  for  the  consideration  of  four 
matters  pertaining  to  the  lands  chiefly.  In  the  fourth  request 
they  asked  among  other  things  that  they  may  have  confirmed 
a  small  tract  on  the  opposite  (east)  side  of  the  little  river  (the 
Kaskaskia)  that  it  may  constitute  a  mill  site  for  the  erection 
of  a  water  mill.  In  the  disposal  of  this  petition  the  Commandant, 
Deliete,  and  the  Judge,  Chaffin,  recommended  to  the  Superior 
Council  of  Louisiana  that  the  request  as  to  the  mill  site  should 
be  granted.  Now  it  is  very  interesting  to  know  that  there  was 
a  water  mill  built  and  operated  in  the  earliest  times  just  east 
across  the  Kaskaskia  River,  but  a  half  mile  or  so  above  just  at 
the  foot  of  a  bluff  from  which  there  flowed  forth  and  still  flows 
a  stream  of  water  which  was  used  in  running  the  water  mill. 
Upon  this  same  site  as  late  as  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century  a  mill  of  considerable  capacity  was  built.  The  base- 
ment of  the  building  was  of  stone  and  the  frame  work  above 
was  of  huge  timbers  many  of  which  were  ten  or  twelve  inches 
square.  The  author  visited  this  abandoned  site  a  few  years 
ago  and  found  the  mill  stones  and  timbers  scattered  about  in 
wild  profusion. 

Probably  before  the  date  of  1732  when  the  inhabitants  of  the 
several  villages  along  the  Mississippi  valley  were  shipping  large 
quantities  of  flour  down  the  river  to  New  Orleans. 

The  introduction  of  slavery  into  Illinois  dates  from  the  coming 
of  Renault  in  1721.  About  three  hundred  slaves  were  brought 
at  that  time  to  work  in  the  timber  and  on  the  farms.  When 
the  grant  was  made  to  Renault  he  put  his  slaves  to  work  on 
the  lands  to  produce  food  for  his  men  who  were  carrying  on 
the  mining  operations  throughout  the  country.  When  Renault 
left  the  Illinois  country  he  sold  many  of  his  slaves  to  the  farm- 
ers about  Fort  Chartres  and  thus  slavery  was  perpetuated  till 
about  1850  when  a  court  decision  released  those  then  held  in 
bondage.  These  are  known  in  history  as  the  old  "French  slaves." 
Their  descendants  are  still  occupying  the  land.  They  may  be 
seen  on  their  farms  or  trading  in  the  Village  of  Prairie  Du 
Rocher  or  attending  the  services  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the 
village.  They  do  not  greatly  resemble  the  negroes  that  may 
be  seen  in  other  towns  of  Southern  Illinois  and  their  speech  is 
not  a  Southern  negro  tongue  but  a  mixture  of  French  and 
English. 

The  farms  of  the  French  villages  were  soon  stocked  with 
cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  horses,  and  fowls.  The  horses,  so  says  Reyn- 
olds, were  a  Spanish  breed  from  the  Southwest.  They  were  of 
the  general  build  of  ponies  and  were  very  hardy  animals.  The 
cattle  were  brought  from  Canada  and  were  small  but  easily 


126  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

kept  and  serviceable.  Wheat,  corn,  oats,  apples,  pumpkins,  pota- 
toes and  other  vegetables  were  raised  on  the  rich  alluvial  soil. 

The  church  persisted  but  rarely  flourished.  There  were  mis- 
sions or  chapels  or  regular  church  organizations  in  all  the  vil- 
lages. Without  doubt  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
at  Kaskaskia  was  the  most  prosperous  of  all  the  religious  cen- 
ters. There  was  a  monastery  and  a  college  there  as  early  as 
1721  according  to  Governor  Reynolds  in  his  "Pioneer  History." 
A  large  amount  of  the  religious  and  secular  activity  was  the 
result  of  the  hard  work  of  the  Jesuits  who  labored  in  and  out 
of  season  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians  and  for  the  building 
of  villages,  homes,  mills,  boats,  and  for  the  manufacture  of 
cloth,  the  tanning  of  leather,  and  the  manufactures  in  simple 
ways  in  iron  and  wood.  Bruce  says  that  the  "real  control  of 
the  minds  and  will  of  the  people  was  the  hands  of  the  Jesuits." 

We  have  followed  the  fortunes  of  Marquette  and  Joliet,  of 
LaSalle  and  Tonti,  of  priests,  traders,  and  missionaries.  We 
have  seen  settlements  take  root,  grow,  and  then  die,  and  we 
have  observed  the  planting  of  at  least  a  half  dozen  settlements, 
where  conditions  were  not  the  most  favorable  yet  they  have 
lived — Kaskaskia,  Fort  Massac,  Vincennes,  Fort  Chartres,  St. 
Philippe,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  Cahokia,  Peoria  and  Chicago.  In 
fact  at  the  date  of  the  surrender  of  the  Western  Company  of 
its  charter  there  were  signs  of  great  progress.  The  inhabitants 
of  these  several  villages  were  a  happy-go-lucky  set.  Life  was 
easy  and  to  villagers  there  were  no  signs  of  any  serious  disturb- 
ance from  without  nor  from  within. 


CHAPTER  IX 

ILLINOIS  A  ROYAL  PROVINCE. 

Chickasa  War  —  Revival  of  Interests  —  Conflict  of  In- 
terests— King  George's  War — The  Ohio  Land  Company 
— Fort  Necessity — Illinois  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War — End  of  War — Pontiac's  War — Proclamation  of 
1763. 

The  Western  Company  which  had  been  merged  into  an  East 
Indian  Company  surrendered  its  control  of  Louisiana  April  10, 
1732.  So  far  as  the  ordinary  observer  was  concerned  there  was 
no  great  change  as  the  country  passed  from  a  chartered  province 
to  a  royal  province.  As  has  been  intimated  in  a  previous  chap- 
ter, the  Jesuits  were  the  ones  who  gave  direction  to  the  slight 
political  and  intellectual  activities  which  were  observed  among 
the  people.  Outside  of  the  issuing  of  a  few  grants  of  land,  the 
great  company  took  little  action  in  the  Louisiana  Territory. 
Nearly  all  that  was  accomplished  was  done  by  individuals, 
priests,  traders,  trappers,  and  a  few  political  officials. 

Illinois  a  Royal  Province 

One  of  the  first  steps  taken  by  the  crown  was  to  separate  the 
Louisiana  Territory  from  New  France.  The  government  of 
Louisiana  was  carried  on  by  a  governor,  and  intendant,  and  a 
Royal  Council.  These  were  appointed  by  the  king.  Illinois  was 
made  a  dependency  of  Louisiana.  The  commandant  of  Illinois 
was  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  of  Louisiana.  Lieutenant 
Boisbriant  was  recalled  to  Louisiana  in  1725  to  act  as  governor, 
while  De  Bienville  made  a  visit  to  France.  The  second  com- 
mandant of  Illinois  was  Captain  du  Liette  of  the  royal  army. 
The  next  commandant  was  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive,  who  was 
the  one  in  control  in  the  year  1732,  when  the  Western  Com- 
pany surrendered  its  charter.  M.  Salmon  was  named  to  accept 
the  surrender  of  Louisiana  from  the  company. 

The  Western  Company  had  had  control  of  the  Louisiana 
Country  from  1717  to  1732 — fifteen  years.  During  this  period 
the  population  had  grown  from  about  700  souls  of  all  colors, 
ages,  and  sexes,  till  in  1732  there  were  5,000  people  in  the 
territory.  Out  of  this  5,000  population  about  2,000  of  them 
were  slaves.  When  the  charter  was  surrendered  in  1732,  the 
crown  purchased  all  the  effects  belonging  to  the  company.  There 
were  warehouses,  goods,  stock  in  trade,  plantations,  260  negroes 
in  Illinois,  and  all  the  equipment  about  the  plantations.    Major 

127 


128  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

D'Artaguette,  a  young  officer  in  the  French  service  who  had  won 
distinction  as  an  Indian  fighter  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  was 
named  as  the  king's  first  lieutenant,  and  commandant  of  Illinois. 
He  began  his  duties  in  1734  and  ruled  till  his  death  two  years 
later. 

As  the  French  had  spread  north  from  New  Orleans,  they  had 
settled  among  the  Indians  scattered  along  the  Mississippi. 
Among  these  Indians  were  the  Natches,  the  Chickasas,  and  the 
Choctas.  The  Natches  were  located  in  what  is  now  Mississippi 
where  the  City  of  Natches  is  found.  To  the  north  of  the  Natches 
were  the  Chickasas,  and  southeast  of  the  Natches  were  the 
Choctas.  The  Chickasas  had  been  very  hostile  at  times  to  the 
carriers  of  the  commerce  which  passed  up  and  down  the  Missis- 
sippi River  between  the  Illinois  Country  and  the  ports  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  Bienville,  while  governor  of  Louisiana,  was 
able  to  hold  these  hostile  natives  in  check,  but  in  1726  he  was 
called  to  France  and  it  was  then  that  the  Chickasas  renewed 
their  opposition  to  the  navigation  of  the  river  by  the  people  of 
Illinois.  In  1729  the  Chickasas  hatched  a  conspiracy  among 
the  Indians  in  that  region  for  the  extermination  of  the  French 
in  Lower  Louisiana.  In  the  war  which  followed  the  Natches 
were  annihilated  as  a  tribe — the  refugees  taking  shelter  among 
the  Chickasas  who  had  not  taken  an  active  part  in  the  war.  In 
all  of  these  unfortunate  relations  between  the  French  and  the 
Indians  along  the  Mississippi,  the  English  of  the  Carolinas  were 
prominent  factors.  In  1732  Georgia  was  settled  by  the  English 
and  they  too  soon  became  involved  in  the  unfriendly  relations 
between  the  French  and  the  Indians. 

When  Oglethorpe  was  fairly  settled  in  his  colony  of  Georgia 
he  was  visited  by  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  to  the  west  of  the  pres- 
ent State  of  Georgia  who  came  to  tell  him  that  the  French  were 
encroaching  upon  his  grant  which  the  king  had  made  to  certain 
trustees.  The  English  in  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  set  them- 
selves to  oppose  the  French  along  the  Mississippi  and  about  the 
Gulf  Coast.  This  was  the  basis  for  later  complications,  and 
accounts  for  the  continued  bitter  attitude  of  the  Indians  toward 
the  French.  The  Natches  refugees  who  had  been  sheltered  by 
the  Chickasas  were  still  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  the  French 
who  had  broken  up  their  tribe.  The  Chickasas  appeared  for 
some  time  to  be  neutral  in  the  matter,  but  encouraged  by  the 
English  emissaries  the  Chickasas  openly  commenced  depreda- 
tions upon  the  French  and  the  river  commerce.  Negro  refugees 
from  the  Natches  war  had  taken  up  their  abode  in  the  Chickasa 
villages.  These  renegades  were  now  commissioned  by  the  Chick- 
asas to  go  about  New  Orleans  and  work  up  a  revolt  among  the 
slaves.  It  was  planned  to  kill  their  masters  and  burn  New 
Orleans  and  make  their  escape  to  the  Chickasa  villages.  The 
plot  was  discovered,  the  leaders  taken  and  executed.     There 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  129 

seemed  nothing  for  the  French  to  do  now  less  than  to  punish 
severely  the  Chickasas. 

Bienville  had  returned  to  New  Orleans  as  governor  in  1635. 
He  was  old  but  active  and  somewhat  vain,  since  he  wished  to 
finish  up  his  career  as  governor  of  Louisiana  by  annihilating  the 
Chickasas.  He  therefore  sent  an  ambassador  to  the  Chickasas 
asking  them  to  surrender  the  Natches  Indians  who  had  been 
guilty  of  massacreing  French  settlers  on  the  river.  This  the 
Chickasas  refused  to  do  and  it  was  Bienville's  plan  to  make  war 
on  them  to  the  point  of  utter  destruction. 

The  Chickasa  War 

Bienville  had  definite  plans  for  the  war  upon  the  Chickasas. 
He  ordered  the  new  commandant  at  Kaskaskia,  Pierre  D'Ar- 
taguiette,  to  assemble  the  fighting  men  of  the  French  villages 
about  Kaskaskia  and  also  the  soldiers  of  Vincennes.  With 
these  he  was  to  march  south  and  meet  Bienville  almost  east  of 
the  present  City  of  Natches.  The  two  armies — the  one  under 
D'Artaguiette  from  the  Illinois  Country,  and  the  other  under 
Bienville  from  Biloxi,  New  Orleans  and  other  settlements.  The 
army  under  Bienville  failed  to  reach  the  place  of  rendezvous 
and  D'Artaguiette  attacked  some  small  villages  with  apparent 
success,  but  the  main  body  of  the  Indians  assembling  before 
Bienville  arrived,  attacked  the  Illinois  troops,  killed  forty 
Frenchmen  and  eight  Indians.  They  also  captured  many  of  the 
French  and  Indians  whom  they  burned  at  the  stake.  Among 
those  burned  at  the  stake  were  M.  de  Vincennes,  the  founder  of 
Vincennes,  Indiana;  D'Artaguiette,  the  Illinois  commandant; 
Father  Senat ;  DuTisne,  a  former  commandant  of  Illinois ;  Pierre 
St.  Ange,  Brother  Louis  St.  Ange,  a  later  cammandant.  The 
remnants  of  the  Illinois  troops  eventually  returned  to  their 
homes.  In  1739  another  expedition  was  planned  but  peace  was 
secured  before  any  engagements  were  opened. 

The  death  of  D'Artaguiette  was  lamented  by  all  who  ever 
knew  him,  and  his  loss  was  seriously  felt  by  the  settlers  in  the 
Illinois  villages.  Alphonse  de  la  Buissoniere  who  was  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  ill-fated  Chickasa  war  was  the  successor  to  D'Ar- 
taguiette. From  1736  to  1744  there  were  no  public  enterprises 
to  attract  attention.  The  population  was  largely  increased  by 
immigrants  from  the  old  world — mostly  French.  The  Illinois 
Country  grew  in  population  and  also  in  different  kinds  of  indus- 
trial activities.  There  were  by  1740  as  many  as  six  villages 
along  the  Mississippi,  from  south  to  north  as  follows :  Kaskas- 
kia, Prairie  du  Rocher,  New  Chartres,  St.  Philippe,  Prairie  du 
Pont,  and  Cahokia.  There  was  still  an  Indian  village  at  Peoria. 
Fort  St.  Louis  had  been  abandoned,  and  the  present  site  of 
Chicago  was  occupied  only  by  transient  traders,  trappers,  and 
travelers.  One  of  the  most  common  products  of  the  several 
French  villages  was  flour.    Wheat  was  easily  grown,  and  mills 

* 

7V1 


130  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

were  constructed  for  the  grinding  of  wheat  into  flour.  Most  of 
the  mills  were  water  mills.  These  were  erected  at  the  foot  of 
the  bluffs  that  skirted  the  eastern  margin  of  the  great  American 
bottom.  There  was  at  least  one  windmill  if  Governor  Reynolds 
was  correctly  informed.  Then  there  were  horse-mills  for  tread 
mills.  Reynolds  reports  great  destruction  of  property  along  the 
lower  Mississippi  in  the  fall  of  1745.  The  villages  on  the  Missis- 
sippi and  on  the  Wabash  sent  relief  in  the  form  of  quantities  of 
flour.  The  flour  was  transported  on  boats  and  was  sacked  in 
deer  skins. 

Revival  of  Interests 

After  the  treaties  of  peace  were  signed  between  the  French 
and  the  Chickasas,  in  1739,  there  was  quiet  from  one  end  of 
the  Mississippi  to  the  other.  Commerce  was  one  of  the  most 
attractive  enterprises  in  which  one  could  engage.  It  was  very 
remunerative.  The  people  of  New  Orleans  depended  almost  alto- 
gether upon  the  Illinois  Country  for  their  food  supplies.  "Regu- 
lar cargoes  of  flour,  bacon,  pork,  hides,  tallow,  leather,  lumber, 
wine,  lead,  and  peltries  were  annually  transported  in  keel  boats 
and  barges  to  New  Orleans  where  there  was  an  excellent  mar- 
ket." The  going  trip  was  a  very  simple  proposition — the  boat 
went  with  the  stream,  but  the  return  journey  was  one  to  be 
dreaded.  The  homeward  cargo  was  of  rice,  sugar,  coffee, 
tobacco,  indigo,  cotton  cloth,  iron,  and  tools.  It  would  be  a 
discouraging  task  to  row  a  heavily  loaded  boat  against  the  Mis- 
sissippi current,  but  the  mariners  often  had  the  wind  to  help 
them.  Then  there  was  what  was  known  as  "cordelling."  This 
method  consisted  in  pulling  the  boats  up  stream  by  means  of  long 
ropes,  the  person  walking  along  the  bank;  or  one  end  was 
often  tied  to  a  tree  and  the  other  end  in  the  hands  of  the  men 
on  the  boat  was  tugged  at  continually  against  wind  and 
current. 

It  is  not  cruel  to  say  that  the  life  of  the  people  who  lived  in 
the  villages  along  the  Mississippi  or  on  other  streams  was  not 
of  a  very  high  order.  Government  was  simple.  The  comman- 
dant soon  found  that  the  laws  and  customs  of  Paris  were  poorly 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  a  simple  intercourse  of  a  simple  people. 
Practically  the  priest  in  charge  of  the  village  mission  or  church 
had  more  to  do  in  regulating  the  civil  relationships  than  any  of 
the  regularly  appointed  civil  officers.  There  were  no  church 
dissensions.  No  one  questioned  the  authority  of  the  priest  in 
church  government  or  in  interpretation.  The  great  majority 
of  the  citizens  were  blissfully  ignorant.  There  were  no  schools 
of  any  kind  outside  of  Kaskaskia.  There  were  no  newspapers, 
no  orators  except  the  Indians  and  no  secret  propaganda  to  be 
disseminated.  Socially  there  were  no  high  ideals.  There  were 
very  few  French  women.  Most  of  the  mothers  were  Indian 
squaws  or  daughters  of  Indian  women,  and  the  record  of  bap- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  131 

tisms  of  at  least  one  church  shows  that  the  father  of  the  child 
was  not  always  known.  These  people  enjoyed  the  social  activ- 
ities of  the  community.  They  danced  with  great  pleasure. 
"While  they  were  light-hearted,  they  were  light-headed  as  well." 

Conflict  of  Interests 

It  was  very  plain  to  those  who  were  accustomed  to  interpret 
the  signs  of  the  time  that  the  time  was  not  far  removed  when 
there  would  be  a  serious  lash  as  to  the  rightful  ownership  of  the 
lands  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  The  English  colonies  of  Georgia, 
the  two  Carolinas,  Virginia,  Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts  all 
had  grants  in  their  charters  which  included  the  lands  west  of 
the  settled  portion  as  far  west  as  the  Pacific  Ocean — the  south 
sea.  Georgia  and  the  two  Carolinas  were  greatly  concerned 
about  the  presence  of  the  French  in  the  lands  between  the  Alle- 
ghany Mountains  and  the  Mississippi  River.  The  colonies  farther 
north  found  some  trouble  passing  over  the  Alleghenies  and  they 
do  not  seem  to  have  cared  for  the  presence  of  the  French  on  the 
Ohio  and  the  Wabash,  at  least  in  the  early  days.  Besides,  from 
1744  to  1748  the  English  Government  and  the  northern  colonies 
were  concerned  about  a  war  known  as  King  George's  war  and 
there  was  little  time  to  think  of  the  French  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies. 

King  George's  War 

This  war  had  its  origin  in  Europe  and  is  called  a  dynastic  war. 
It  involved  England  and  France,  and  so  the  English  and  French 
colonies  in  America  were  more  or  less  concerned.  Since  the  close 
of  Queen  Anne's  war  in  1713,  the  French  had  built  what  they 
thought  was  an  impregnable  fort  on  the  Cape  Breton  Island. 
This  fort  was  to  guard  the  entrance  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  Some 
New  England  farmers  were  organized  into  a  naval  expedition  by 
William  Pepperell  and  Louisburg  was  captured.  There  were 
some  conflicts  near  the  border  between  the  New  England  colonies 
and  the  French  in  Canada,  but  nothing  that  in  any  way  dis- 
turbed the  French  in  the  Louisiana  region.  But  when  the  war 
closed  in  1748,  the  French  gave  earnest  heed  to  the  occupation 
of  the  Ohio  River  and  valley. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  French 
had  tightened  their  grip  on  the  waterways  from  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  There  were  forts,  warehouses  and  mission  stations 
at  Louisburg,  Quebec,  Montreal,  Frontenac,  Niagara,  Detroit, 
Mackinaw,  Green  Bay,  Fort  Miami,  Starved  Rock,  Peoria, 
Cahokia,  St.  Phillipe,  Fort  Chartres,  Kaskaskia,  Vincennes,  Fort 
Massac,  Fort  Prudhomme,  Fort  Rosalie,  New  Orleans,  Biloxi, 
and  Mobile.  There  were  other  stations  of  lesser  importance. 
But  in  all  of  this  strong  chain  of  forts  which  completely  hemmed 
in  the  English  colonies  there  was  but  a  single  defense  on  the 


132  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Ohio  River  for  a  distance  of  more  than  a  thousand  miles.  It 
was  therefore  the  plan  of  the  French  Government  immediately 
to  proceed  to  occupy  this  river  from  its  nearest  approach  to 
Lake  Erie  to  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi. 

The  Ohio  Land  Company 

The  English  have  not  been  napping  relative  to  their  interests 
west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  The  English  western  line 
had  been  pushed  out  in  Georgia  to  Fort  Moore,  on  the  Savannah 
River;  to  Camden,  Charlottesburg ;  and  Hillsboro,  in  the  Caro- 
linas;  in  Virginia,  well  up  into  the  Piedmont  belt;  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, well  toward  the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela  rivers;  in 
New  York,  to  Oswego.  The  frontier  line  from  New  York  to 
Georgia  was  made  up  of  hardy  Pennsylvania  Dutch,  Scotch 
Irish,  Germans,  and  Huguenots.  The  English  adventurers  of 
the  coast  had  gone  into  the  valleys  of  the  mountains  and  had 
established  trading  stations  even  to  the  west  of  the  water  part- 
ing. In  1748  Thomas  Lee,  a  member  of  the  King's  Council  in 
Virginia,  formed  the  plan  of  effecting  large  settlements  west  of 
the  Alleghanies.  He  secured  the  assistance  of  a  Mr.  Hanbury, 
a  rich  and  influential  merchant  of  London.  With  these  two 
leaders,  a  company  of  fourteen  persons  was  formed,  probably 
half  of  the  number  residing  in  England  and  a  half  in  Virginia 
and  other  colonies.  Among  those  in  America  who  were  stock- 
holders in  this  Ohio  Land  Company  were  Governor  Dinwiddie 
and  Lawrence  and  Augustine  Washington,  brothers  of  George 
Washington.  The  King  of  England  received  the  petition  of  this 
Ohio  Land  Company  and  granted  the  company  a  half  million 
acres  of  land  along  the  Ohio  River. 

While  the  company  was  being  organized,  Conrad  Weiser,  a 
noted  interpreter,  was  sent  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Ohio  River 
to  secure  the  friendship  of  the  Indians  in  the  venture  of  the 
Ohio  Land  Company.  The  company  was  given  the  exclusive 
right  of  trading  with  the  Indians  in  the  Ohio  region.  Trading 
stations  were  established  on  the  Alleghany  River,  the  northern 
branch  of  the  Ohio.  An  important  trading  station  was  also 
established  at  Logstown,  eighteen  miles  below  the  junction  of 
the  two  rivers  that  form  the  Ohio.  In  1750  Christopher  Gist,  a 
frontiersman  of  great  ability,  went  into  the  Ohio  region;  he 
went  into  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio  and  as  far  west  as  the 
Miami  River.  On  this  trip  Gist  found  George  Croghan  and 
Andrew  Montour,  two  celebrated  frontiersmen,  who  had  pre- 
ceded him  into  the  Ohio  country.  Gist  returned  to  Virginia  by 
way  of  Kentucky,  where  he  also  found  a  few  feeble  white  settle- 
ments. 

The  Lead  Plates 

As  soon  as  word  reached  the  governor  of  Canada  telling  of 
the  activity  of  the  English  in  the  region  of  the  Ohio,  he  dis- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  133 

patched  Louis  Celeron,  Knight  of  the  Military  Order  of  St. 
Louis,  into  the  Ohio  valley  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  a  num- 
ber of  lead  plates  at  the  mouths  of  rivers  flowing  into  the  Ohio. 
Celeron  kept  the  governor  of  Canada  posted  as  to  what  was 
transpiring  in  the  Ohio  valley.  In  January,  1750,  Governor 
Hamilton  of  Pennsylvania  laid  before  his  council  a  letter  from 
Celeron  written  from  "Camp  on  the  river  Ohio,  at  an  old 
Shawnee  village."  In  this  letter  the  Frenchman  said  he  was 
surprised  to  find  English  traders  from  Pennsylvania  in  a  coun- 
try to  which  England  had  never  laid  claim,  and  requested  the 
governor  to  advise  his  people  to  refrain  from  trespassing  on 
the  territory  of  France.  Shortly  after  this  the  governor  of 
Canada  wrote  letters  to  the  governors  of  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania warning  them  that  English  traders  found  in  the  valley 
of  the  Ohio  would  be  seized  and  held  as  trespassers  on  Frencli 
territory. 

Washington's  Message 

The  French  now  began  to  send  military  forces  into  the  valley 
of  the  Ohio.  They  erected  a  fort  at  Presque  Isle,  now  the  City 
of  Erie,  Pennsylvania.  They  next  moved  south  some  twenty- 
five  miles  and  built  a  fort  on  French  Creek,  one  of  the  tributa- 
ries of  the  Alleghany  River.  In  the  latter  part  of  1753  Gov- 
ernor Dinwiddie  sent  George  Washington  to  the  French  Com- 
mander who  was  then  at  Venango  with  a  request  that  he  should 
withdraw  out  of  territory  which  had  been  a  part  of  the  English 
possessions  since  the  days  of  the  Cabots,  and  the  territory  of 
Virginia  since  1609,  the  date  of  her  second  charter.  Washing- 
ton was  used  to  the  hardships  which  this  task  presented.  He 
had  surveyed  the  hills  and  valleys  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  he 
had  accompanied  Lord  Fairfax  on  many  a  hunt  in  these  same 
mountains.  He  reached  Venango  and  delivered  the  message 
from  Governor  Dinwiddie.  The  French  officer  was  very  cour- 
teous to  Washington,  but  told  him  that  he  was  acting  under 
orders  of  his  superior  officer  to  whom  he  would  present  the 
message  from  Governor  Dinwiddie.  Young  Washington  was 
told  to  gather  up  quite  a  body  of  knowledge  on  this  trip  all  of 
which  he  did  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  governor. 

Among  other  things  which  he  observed  was  the  strategic 
value  of  the  junction  of  the  Alleghany  and  the  Monongahela — 
the  "Forks  of  the  Ohio."  This  he  made  a  matter  of  special 
report,  and  advised  that  the  English  should  immediately  take 
possession  of  this  point  and  erect  a  strong  military  defense. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  1754  Washington,  as  head  of  the  Vir- 
ginia militia,  was  ordered  to  raise  two  hundred  soldiers  and 
proceed  to  the  defense  of  the  "Forks  of  the  Ohio."  Preceding 
this  little  army  was  a  band  of  workmen  who  went  to  the  desig- 
nated place  and  began  the  erection  of  a  fort. 


134  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Fort  Necessity 

Shortly  after  Washington's  visit  to  the  French  at  Venango, 
a  detachment  of  French  soldiers  was  sent  down  the  north 
branch  of  the  Ohio,  with  the  purpose  of  taking  possession  of  the 
strategic  "Forks  of  the  Ohio."  When  they  reached  the  place 
they  found  the  Virginia  workmen  engaged  on  the  proposed 
English  Fort.  The  workmen  were  easily  dissuaded  and  dis- 
persed. In  the  meantime  George  Washington,  now  a  Colonel, 
was  organizing  his  little  band  which  was  to  take  the  first  steps 
in  a  great  war.  His  troops  were  mostly  Virginians  but  some 
troops  were  from  neighboring  states.  He  left  Williamsburg  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1754  with  a  force  of  two  hundred  men. 
He  arrived  at  Great  Meadows  some  fifty  miles  southeast  of  The 
Forks  on  May  27,  1754.  Here  he  was  visited  by  Half -King,  an 
Indian  chief,  who  lived  at  Loggstown  on  the  Ohio  below  the 
Forks.  Half-King  was  an  Iroquois  chief  who  was  a  real  friend 
of  the  English.  This  chief  had  a  small  band  of  warriors ;  they 
had  come  to  help  Washington.  Christopher  Gist,  a  good  friend 
of  Washington,  had  a  short  time  before  this  settled  just  west  of 
Great  Meadows ;  he  also  came  to  tell  Washington  that  a  detach- 
ment of  French  troops  were  encamped  not  far  away  awaiting 
Washington's  coming.  On  the  28th  of  May,  Washington  and 
his  friend  Half-King  marched  forth  and  came  upon  the  enemy 
at  a  place  called  Little  Meadows,  five  miles  east  of  the  present 
City  of  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania.  There  was  fought  the  first 
battle  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  All  the  French  detach- 
ment were  killed,  captured  or  dispersed.  Among  the  killed  was 
Jumonville  de  Villiers,  the  commander  of  the  French  contingent. 

Washington  held  his  ground  till  June  28,  when  he  learned  that 
Coulon  de  Villiers,  a  brother  of  the  slain  French  commander, 
was  near  with  an  army  of  several  hundred  men.  Washington 
then  retreated  to  Great  Meadows  where  he  took  refuge  in  a 
crude  fort  which  was  called  Fort  Necessity.  Here  he  was  at- 
tacked on  July  3  by  a  thousand  French  troops.  The  battle 
raged  through  the  day.  At  nightfall  in  a  heavy  rain-storm 
DeVillier  sent  terms  of  capitulation  to  Washington,  who  was 
at  that  time  out  of  provisions  and  ammunition.  The  generous 
terms  were  accepted,  and  on  July  4,  1754,  George  Washington 
was  permitted  to  march  from  its  fort  with  flags  flying  and  with 
drums  beating.  He  was  allowed  to  return  to  Virginia,  giving 
up  his  French  prisoners  and  leaving  in  the  fort  a  few  pieces 
of  artillery  which  he  had  brought  over  the  mountains  from 
Virginia. 

Fort  Chartres 

The  justification  for  this  somewhat  detailed  story  of  inci- 
dents far  from  Illinois,  may  not  on  the  face  of  it  be  understood, 
but  there  is  a  very  important  relation  between  Illinois  history 


136  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

and  the  story  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  When  at  the  close 
of  the  war  which  we  call  "King  George's  War,"  the  French 
decided  to  begin  an  active  campaign  of  fort  building  from  the 
east  end  of  Lake  Erie  down  the  Ohio  River  to  its  junction  with 
the  Mississippi,  they  also  began  to  strengthen  their  hold  upon 
all  the  route  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  by  way  of  the 
Great  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
This  involved  the  repairing  of  old  forts,  the  building  of  new 
ones,  and  the  accumulation  of  war  supplies  in  all  the  places 
suitable  for  such  procedure.  Among  the  places  selected  as  a 
strategic  point  on  the  Mississippi  was  Fort  Chartres,  sixteen 
or  eighteen  miles  above  the  young  and  growing  city  of  Kaskas- 
kia.  The  location  of  this  fort  has  been  given  somewhat  in  detail 
in  a  preceding  chapter.  The  first  fort  was  a  palisade  of  a 
double  row  of  logs  with  space  between  filled  with  earth.  It 
was  built  in  1520,  and  was  in  all  probability  in  need  of  repair. 
But  the  French  government's  plans  had  passed  beyond  the  tem- 
porary stage.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  construct  a  very  per- 
manent fort  at  this  place.  In  the  summer  of  1751  there  arrived 
at  Fort  Chartres  Chevalier  de  Macarty  direct  from  Paris  with 
orders  to  rebuild  the  fort,  using  stone  instead  of  wood.  This 
apparently  sudden  decision  of  France  to  strengthen  her  claim 
to  the  interior  of  the  continent  was  the  result  of  earnest  appeals 
that  had  been  sent  home  by  the  governors  of  Louisiana  and 
New  France.  The  governor  of  Canada  wrote  to  his  home  gov- 
ernment, saying:  "The  little  colony  of  Illinois  ought  not  to  be 
left  to  perish.  The  king  must  sacrifice  for  its  support.  The 
principal  advantage  of  the  country  is  its  extreme  productive- 
ness, and  its  connection  with  Canada  and  Louisiana." 

Chevalier  de  Macarty  was  himself  a  Major  of  Engineers  in 
the  army.  He  was  given  general  control  of  building  the  new 
fort,  but  the  plans  were  drawn  by  Lieut.  Jean  B.  Saussier,  a 
military  engineer  and  maternal  ancestor  of  Dr.  John  F.  Snyder, 
lately  of  Virginia  City,  Cass  County,  Illinois,  a  former  president 
of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society.  The  work  of  construction 
was  begun  not  later  than  1753,  at  least  in  May  of  that  year. 
Captain  Bossu  of  the  French  marines  who  was  at  the  fort  says : 
"The  Sieur  Saussier,  an  engineer,  has  made  a  plan  for  construct- 
ing a  new  fort  here  according  to  the  intention  of  the  court.  It 
shall  bear  the  same  name  as  the  old  one  which  is  called  Fort  de 
Chartres.  The  general  plan  of  the  fort  is  shown  by  the  accom- 
panying diagram."  It  was  built  of  stone  quarried  from  the  bluffs 
just  above  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and  the  old  quarries  may  be  seen 
today  as  one  goes  north  along  the  old  road  at  the  foot  of  the 
bluffs.  These  quarries  were  about  three  or  three  and  a  half 
miles  away  from  the  fort  with  a  large  part  of  the  space  covered 
by  a  lake  or  bayou.  The  old  settlers  will  tell  you  that  the  stones 
were  loaded  on  the  boats  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  where  they  were 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  137 

quarried  and  transported  to  within  a  few  hundred  feet  of  the 
site  of  the  fort  where  they  were  unloaded  and  hauled  on  ox  carts 
to  the  site  of  the  fort. 

The  walls  of  the  fort  were  1,447  feet  in  length,  more  than  2  feet 
thick,  18  feet  high,  contained  four  bastions  each  having  eight 
embrasures  and  a  sentry  box.  The  fort  faced  northeast,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  front  wall  was  a  gate  of  artistic  construction. 
The  gateway  was  arched  and  15  feet  high.  Over  the  gateway 
was  a  sort  of  portico  reached  by  a  stone  stairway  of  nineteen 
steps  with  a  balustrade  up  the  steps  and  around  the  outer  edge 
of  the  portico.  All  the  parts  of  the  gate  were  of  cut  stone  except 
the  doors  or  gates  proper  which  were  of  iron.  Within  the  walls 
there  were  two  store  houses  90  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide,  two 
stories  high  and  gable-roofed.  Two  buildings  used  by  the  com- 
mandant and  the  commissary  each  96  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide. 
Two  groups  of  four  barracks  each  135  feet  long  and  36  feet  wide. 
One  powder  magazine  some  45  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide.  A 
smaller  magazine  and  a  bake  oven  and  stables  for  horses.  There 
were  two  wells,  a  rather  large  one  and  one  of  ordinary  size. 
They  were  both  walled  with  broken  rocks  much  as  the  farmers 
in  hilly  regions  wall  their  wells.  These  two  wells  are  to  be  seen 
today  apparently  in  as  good  condition  as  they  were  in  the  days  of» 
the  French  and  Indian  war.  Engineers  who  have  surveyed  the 
site  state  there  were  about  four  acres  within  the  walls.  Just 
in  front  of  the  gate  and  portico  was  a  spacious  parade  ground 
which  may  also  be  seen  today,  though  overgrown  with  briers 
and  shrubs.  One  may,  in  his  imagination,  reconstruct  this  great 
fortress  that  is  supposed  to  have  cost  a  $1,000,000  in  our  money. 
The  commandants  who  ruled  at  Fort  Chartres  from  the  time 
it  was  first  established  to  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war 
were  as  follows : 

Duque  de  Boisbriant 1718-1725 

Du  Tisne 1725^1726 

De  Lieite 1726-1730 

St.  Ange  de  Bellerive 1730-1734 

Herre  D'Artaguiette 1734-1736 

De  la  Bussoniere 1736-1740 

Benoist  De  St.  Claire 1740-1743 

Chevalier  De  Bertel 1743-1749 

Benoist  De  St.  Claire 1749-1751 

Chevalier  de  Macarty 1751-1760 

Neyon  De  Villiers 1760-1764 

St.  Ange  de  Bellerive 1764-1765 

Illinois  in  the  French  and  Indian  War 

The  French  government  began  to  send  soldiers  and  military 
supplies  to  Fort  Chartres  as  soon  as  it  was  seen  there  would  be 
a  clash  of  arms  over  the  control  of  the  Ohio  valley.    Among  the 


138  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

officers  was  a  Captain  Neyon  de  Villiers,  whose  brother,  Coulon 
de  Villiers,  was  in  command  at  Fort  du  Quesne.  When  the 
French  detachment  was  sent  from  Fort  De  Quesne  to  meet  Colo- 
nel Washington  at  Little  Meadows,  the  little  army  was  in  com- 
mand of  an  officer  by  the  name  of  Jumoville  de  Villiers,  a  brother 
to  the  commander  at  Fort  Du  Quesne,  and  of  Neyon  de  Villiers 
at  Fort  Chartres. 

When  word  reached  Coulon  de  Villiers  at  Fort  Du  Quesne  that 
his  brother  had  been  killed  at  the  Little  Meadows,  word  was 
sent  to  the  third  brother,  Neyon  de  Villiers  at  Fort  Chartres,  to 
come  at  once  to  Fort  Du  Quesne  with  his  company.  This  he  did 
and  toward  the  end  of  June  he  reached  Fort  Du  Quesne  with  his 
grenadiers.  The  two  brothers  then  marched  toward  Fort  Neces- 
sity, and  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  July,  1754,  they  attacked 
the  fort  and  on  the  morning  of  July  5,  1754,  Washington  sur- 
rendered. Thus  we  see  that  Illinois  troops  under  the  command 
of  an  officer  stationed  in  an  Illinois  fort  took  part  in  the  capture 
of  the  "Father  of  his  Country." 

Illinois  performed  other  service  in  the  French  and  Indian  war. 
The  French  villages  along  the  Mississippi  furnished  supplies, 
and  men  in  addition  to  those  sent  under  Neyon  de  Villiers  in 
1754.  The  supplies  were  sent  down  the  Mississippi  and  up  the 
Ohio  to  Fort  Du  Quesne.  Chevalier  de  Macarty  was  in  command 
of  Fort  Chartres  from  1751  to  1760  and  was  untiring  in  his 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  his  king.  In  1760  this  Frenchman  with 
an  Irish  name  retired  from  the  command  of  this  great  fort  and 
his  successor,  Neyon  de  Villiers,  was  appointed  to  the  command. 
Neyon  de  Villiers  was  a  popular  commander,  for  his  name  is 
found  on  many  of  the  certificates  of  marriages  as  shown  in  the 
records  of  the  St.  Anne's  Parish. 

While  still  under  Chevalier  Macarty,  as  the  war  proceeded, 
Neyon  de  Villiers  was  a  constant  and  never  failing  support  to 
the  French  at  Fort  Du  Quesne.  The  commandant  at  this  fort 
reported  to  the  governor  of  Canada  that  he  was  in  sore  need  of 
supplies.  He  wrote  to  Macarty — "We  are  in  sad  want  of  pro- 
visions. I  send  to  you  for  flour  and  pork."  Shortly  after  this 
the  governor  of  Canada  wrote  to  the  home  government — "I  knew 
the  route  from  the  Illinois  was  as  fine  as  could  be  desired.  Cheva- 
lier Neyon  de  Villier,  who  commands  the  escort  of  provisions 
from  here,  came  up  with  a  bateau  of  18,000  weight.  This  makes 
known  a  sure  communication  with  the  Illinois  whence  I  can  de- 
rive succor  in  provisions  and  men."  "The  tireless  De  Villiers, 
hardly  resting  from  his  escort,  duly  crossed  the  Alleghanies  with 
his  men,  and  captured  Fort  Granville,  on  the  Juaniata."  The 
Marquis  de  Montcalm,  writing  of  the  work  done  by  the  Illinois 
soldiers,  says :  "The  news  from  the  Beautiful  River  is  excellent. 
We  continue  to  devastate  Pennsylvania.  Chevalier  de  Villiers, 
brother  of  Jumonville,  who  was  assassinated  by  the  British,  has 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  139 

just  burned  Fort  Granville,  sixty  miles  from  Philadelphia."  Cap- 
tain Aubry  was  sent  from  Fort  Chartres  with  400  men  to  re- 
enforce  the  garrison  at  the  Forks  of  the  Ohio.  Captain  Aubry 
defeated  Major  Grant  and  his  Highlanders,  and  surprised  an 
English  camp  forty-five  miles  from  Fort  Duquesne  and  rode  back 
to  the  fort  upon  the  captured  horses.  Illinois  troops  were  in 
Fort  Duquesne  when  Washington  captured  the  place  in  1758 
and  made  their  escape  down  the  Ohio  by  the  light  of  the  burn- 
ing fort. 

When  Quebec  fell  before  General  Wolfe's  Red  Coats  on  the 
Plains  of  Abraham  in  the  middle  of  September,  1759,  it  was 
known  that  Canada  or  New  France  would  go  to  the  English. 
But  public  men  in  the  Louisiana  Territory  could  not  see  any  rea- 
son why  Louisiana  should  be  given  up  to  the  English.  The  Illi- 
nois French  were  greatly  shocked  when  they  learned  that  the 
Illinois  as  well  as  the  lower  parts  of  Louisiana  on  the  East  of  the 
river  had  been  given  over  to  the  English.  It  is  said  that  Bien- 
ville, now  an  old  man  in  Paris  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  pleaded  that 
Louisiana  might  not  be  ceded  to  the  English. 

End  of  the  War 

The  treaty  which  closed  the  war  was  signed  in  Paris  Febru- 
ary 10,  1763.  By  the  terms  of  the  treaty  all  of  New  France  was 
ceded  to  the  English  and  all  of  Louisiana  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River  excepting  the  City  of  New  Orleans.  Neyon  de  Villiers 
was  in  command  at  Fort  Chartres  and  there  were  still  those  who 
thought  that  the  French  king  would  be  able  by  some  sort  of 
diplomacy  to  retain  the  Illinois  country.  Just  at  this  uncertain 
period  an  expedition  arrived  at  Fort  Chartres  from  New  Or- 
leans. It  was  led  by  a  man  of  great  means  and  wide  business 
experience.  This  man  was  Pierre  LaClede.  He  represented  a 
company  of  rich  merchants  in  New  Orleans  who  wished  to  found 
at  some  suitable  point  in  the  Illinois  country  a  large  fur  trading 
establishment.  He  reached  Fort  Chartres  with  a  large  stock  of 
valuable  goods.  Neyon  de  Villiers  allowed  him  to  store  his  goods 
in  the  fort  and  his  men  were  allowed  also  to  make  the  fort  their 
stopping  place.  La  Clede  soon  learned  that  the  Illinois  country 
had  been  ceded  to  the  British.  He  was  greatly  disappointed. 
He  hastily  surveyed  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  never 
dreaming  that  that  territory,  too,  had  secretly  been  handed  over 
to  the  Spanish  government  for  safe  keeping.  After  some  time 
spent  in  inspecting  several  locations  he  finally  settled  on  the 
mounds  where  the  City  of  St.  Louis  is  now  located.  In  the  spring 
of  1764  he  moved  his  goods  to  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi 
and  thus  the  great  City  of  St.  Louis  had  its  beginning. 

The  veteran  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive,  who  had  been  in  charge  of 
the  fort  at  Vincennes,  came  in  1764  to  relieve  Neyon  de  Villiers 
who  had  done  so  much  for  the  French  and  for  the  Illinois  country. 


140  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Although  the  Lilies  of  France  were  still  waving  over  Fort  Char- 
tres  it  was  known  that  the  British  were  only  awaiting  a  favor- 
able time  when  they  would  pull  down  the  Lilies  and  run  up  the 
Union  Jack.  When  it  was  generally  understood  that  the  British 
would  eventually  take  possession  of  the  Illinois  country,  there 
was  a  regular  exodus  from  the  villages  of  the  Illinois,  and  this 
notwithstanding  the  proclamation  of  the  English  commander  in 
chief  that  they  might  remain  in  possession  of  all  their  property, 
and  might  enjoy  their  religion  undisturbed. 

Pontiac's  War 

In  the  French  and  Indian  war  the  Algonquin  Indians  were 
favorable  to  the  French  while  the  Iroquois  Indians  were  gen- 
erally with  the  English.  The  Algonquins — particularly  their 
leaders — fully  believed  that  the  lands  surrendered  to  the  Eng- 
lish might  with  united  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  and 
French  be  taken  from  the  English  and  restored  to  the  French 
king.  The  Indians  were  sullen  and  discontented.  They  looked 
on,  while  the  forts,  settlements,  and  trading  stations  in  the 
northwest  were  being  transferred  to  the  English  with  revenge- 
ful eyes.  And  while  there  seems  at  first  to  have  been  little  or- 
ganization or  concerted  action,  as  time  passed  the  opposition  to 
the  English  occupation  grew  more  and  more  formidable.  The 
first  outward  manifestation  of  this  savage  animosity  was  shown 
when  Major  Rogers  with  a  detachment  of  British  soldiers  was 
marching  to  Detroit  to  take  formal  possession,  Pontiac,  an  Ot- 
tawa chief,  presented  obstructions  and  inquired  why  this  army 
should  be  marching  across  his  possessions.  Major  Rogers  handled 
the  case  very  diplomatically.  He  assured  Pontiac  that  he  was 
fully  authorized  by  the  British  government  to  take  peaceable 
possession  of  the  lands  which  the  treaty  of  Paris  had  trans- 
ferred to  the  British  king.  After  some  minor  points  had  been 
considered  the  two  men  smoked  the  peace  pipe  and  the  soldiers 
soon  reached  their  destination.  But  Pontiac  brooded  over  the 
changed  conditions.  The  French  had  been  very  affable  and  con- 
siderate while  the  English  were  haughty  and  contemptuous. 
The  French  had  mingled  freely  with  the  Indians,  had  shared 
their  hardships  and  their  joys.  The  priests  had  endeared  them- 
selves to  the  savages  by  attending  their  sick,  baptizing  their  chil- 
dren, burying  their  dead  and  leading  them  to  believe  in  the 
Christian  religion.  The  more  Pontiac  thought  these  things  over, 
and  built  up  in  his  imagination  the  conditions  when  the  English 
should  occupy  the  land,  the  more  he  thought  they  should  never 
be  allowed  to  dispossess  the  French.  He  therefore  organized 
a  conspiracy  among  the  several  Indian  tribes  looking  to  the  com- 
plete annihilation  of  English  power  in  New  France  and  Louisi- 
ana.    The  plan  was  to  fall  with  savage  fury  upon  all  the  forts 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  141 

and  settlements  where  the  English  had  dispossessed  the  French. 
The  plan  was  well  laid  and  was  carried  out  with  the  usual  sav- 
age atrocities.  Fort  Pitt  (old  Fort  Duquesne)  and  Detroit  were 
the  only  places  of  any  importance  which  were  able  to  drive  off 
the  attacking  redskins.  The  red  savages  wreaked  their  ven- 
geance upon  unprotected  settlements  and  murdered  or  carried 
into  captivity  hundreds  of  white  settlers.  The  French  officers 
who  were  in  command  of  the  forts  throughout  Louisiana  and 
Canada  regions,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  had  been  asked  by  the 
British  government  to  retain  those  commands  till  the  British 
could  come  with  sufficient  military  force  to  hold  the  country 
and  preserve  order.  Many  of  these  French  officers  were  sus- 
pected of  conniving  with  the  Indians  and  in  some  cases  of  giving 
them  aid.  But  these  charges  of  bad  faith  are  probably  not  true 
in  any  case. 

When  the  British  government  found  that  the  conspiracy  was 
really  getting  to  be  a  formidable  reality,  it  sent  General  Brad- 
street  into  the  disturbed  region,  who  succeeded  in  pacifying  a 
few  of  the  western  tribes.  Colonel  Boquet  successfully  met  a 
large  body  of  braves  in  Western  Pennsylvania  and  when  the 
Indians  found  that  the  British  government  was  determined  upon 
the  restoration  of  order  and  the  establishment  of  British  au- 
thority in  the  newly  conquered  territory,  they  agreed  to  a  gen- 
eral peace  which  was  signed  December  5,  1764.  But  Pontiac 
personally  had  no  part  in  the  making  of  the  treaty  and  would 
not  agree  to  abide  by  its  terms.  He  insisted  that  the  French 
had  not  kept  faith  with  him,  at  least  he  was  greatly  disappointed 
in  not  receiving  any  help  from  them. 

Pontiac  was  deserted  by  the  tribes  upon  whom  he  had  relied 
for  help.  He  seemed  now  alone  in  the  struggle  and  with  a  heavy 
heart  he  came  into  the  Illinois  country,  thinking  he  might  create 
some  interest  among  the  Indians  here.  He  found  Neyon  de 
Villiers  in  command  at  Fort  Chartres.  They  were  old  time 
friends.  Pontiac  laid  his  plans  before  Villiers,  but  the  latter 
told  him  promptly  that  the  treaty  had  been  signed  and  sealed, 
and  that  his  scheme  could  have  no  support  whatever.  Shortly 
after,  he  returned  to  Fort  Chartres  again  and  plead  with  St. 
Ange  de  Bellerive  to  assist  him  in  his  efforts  to  keep  the  British 
out  of  the  Illinois  country.  St.  Ange  followed  the  example  set  by 
de  Villier  and  gave  no  countenance  to  the  scheme  of  the  wily 
savage. 

In  the  spring  of  1764,  Major  Loftus,  with  a  force  of  400  men, 
started  up  the  Mississippi  to  accept  the  formal  surrender  of 
Fort  Chartres,  the  only  place  where  the  French  flag  was  still 
waving.  He  was  met  down  the  Mississippi  from  Fort  Chartres 
and  attacked  by  Pontiac's  braves  and  after  suffering  a  severe 
defeat  he  returned  to  New  Orleans.    In  May,  1765,  Col.  George 


142  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Croghan,  a  trader  and  pioneer,  with  friendly  Indians  and  whites, 
came  down  the  Ohio  and  made  an  encampment  on  the  Ohio  where 
Shawneetown  is  today,  and  sent  word  to  the  French  at  Fort 
Chartres.  At  daybreak  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  June,  1765, 
they  were  attacked  by  the  Indians;  some  were  killed  and  the 
remainder  captured.  They  were  all  forced  to  march  to  Vin- 
cennes  and  from  there  to  Detroit.  Thus  the  second  attempt  by 
the  British  to  reach  Fort  Chartres  failed.  The  Lilies  of  France 
were  still  flying  over  the  Illinois  country. 

Colonel  Croghan,  however,  was  able  to  make  terms  with  Pon- 
tiac  and  later  the  latter  publicly  acknowledged  his  relinquish- 
ment of  all  claim  to  the  right  to  rule  the  Illinois  country.  At 
Detroit  he  said  to  Colonel  Croghan :  "Father,  we  have  all  smoked 
together  this  peace  pipe,  and  as  the  Great  Spirit  has  brought 
us  together  for  good,  I  declare  to  all  the  nations  that  I  have  made 
peace  with  the  English.  In  the  presence  of  all  the  tribes  now 
assembled,  I  take  the  King  of  England  as  my  father,  and  dedicate 
this  pipe  to  his  use,  that  henceforth  we  may  visit  him  and  smoke 
together  in  peace." 

The  military  contingent  which  was  to  follow  Colonel  Croghan 
did  not  leave  Fort  Pitt  till  late  in  the  autumn  of  1765.  It  con- 
sisted of  120  men  from  the  Forty-second  Regiment  of  the  Scotch 
Highlanders  under  command  of  Captain  Sterling.  They  made 
their  way  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  and  on  the  10th 
of  October,  1765,  the  ensign  of  France  was  lowered  from  the 
walls  of  old  Fort  Chartres  and  the  cross  of  St.  George  rose  in 
its  place.  The  French  commandant,  to  whom  fell  this  sad  duty 
of  hauling  down  the  Lilies  of  France,  was  St.  Ange  de  Belle- 
rive,  a  Canadian  officer  of  rare  tact  and  good  judgment.  Neyon 
de  Villiers,  the  only  living  brother  of  a  family  of  seven  all  of 
whom  had  given  their  lives  for  the  French  cause  in  America, 
had  sadly  taken  his  departure  with  a  few  devoted  friends  for 
New  Orleans  a  year  before.  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive,  with  twenty- 
one  faithful  soldiers,  took  their  departure  for  St.  Louis,  a  new 
village  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  above  Cahokia. 

Proclamation  of  1763 

Captain  Sterling  brought  with  him  to  Fort  Chartres  a  procla- 
mation issued  by  the  authority  of  the  King  of  England  and 
signed  by  the  King's  military  chief,  General  Gage.  The  purpose 
of  this  proclamation  was  to  reassure  the  French  inhabitants  of 
the  purpose  of  the  British  government  to  deal  fairly  with  the 
King's  new  subjects.  These  new  subjects  of  the  English  King 
were  already  leaving  the  Illinois  country  by  the  hundreds. 
.  "Whereas,  by  the  peace  concluded  at  Paris,  the  10th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1763,  the  country  of  the  Illinois  has  been  ceded  to  his 
Britannic  Majesty,  and  the  taking  possession  of  the  said  coun- 
try of  the  Illinois,  by  the  troops  of  his  Majesty,  though  de- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  143 

layed,  has  been  determined  upon ;  we  have  found  it  good  to  make 
known  to  the  inhabitants — ■ 

"That  his  majesty  grants  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois, 
the  liberty  of  the  Catholic  religion,  as  it  has  already  been  granted 
to  his  subjects  in  Canada.  He  has  consequently  given  the  most 
precise  and  effective  orders,  to  the  end  that  his  new  Roman 
Catholic  subjects  of  the  Illinois  may  exercise  the  worship  of 
their  religion,  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Romish  church,  in 
the  same  manner  as  in  Canada. 

"That  his  majesty,  moreover,  agrees  that  the  French  inhab- 
itants or  others,  who  have  been  subjects  of  the  most  Christian 
King  (the  King  of  France),  may  retire  in  full  safety  and  free- 
dom wherever  they  please,  even  to  New  Orleans,  or  any  other 
part  of  Louisiana ;  although  it  should  happen  that  the  Spaniards 
take  possession  of  it  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic  majesty  (the 
King  of  Spain),  and  they  may  sell  their  estates,  provided  it 
be  to  subjects  of  his  majesty,  and  transport  their  effects  as 
well  as  their  persons,  without  restraint  upon  their  emigration, 
under  any  pretense  whatever,  except  in  consequence  of  debts, 
or  of  criminal  processes. 

"That  those  who  choose  to  retain  their  lands  and  become 
subjects  of  his  majesty  shall  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  priv- 
ileges, the  same  security  for  their  persons  and  effects,  and  the 
liberty  of  trade,  as  the  old  subjects  of  the  King. 

"That  they  are  commanded  by  these  presents,  to  take  the  oath 
of  fidelity  and  obedience  to  his  majesty,  in  presence  of  Sieur 
Stirling,  captain  of  the  Highland  regiment,  the  bearer  hereof, 
and  furnished  with  our  full  powers  for  this  purpose. 

"That  we  recommend  forcibly  to  the  inhabitants,  to  conduct 
themselves  like  good  and  faithful  subjects,  avoiding,  by  a  wise 
and  prudent  demeanor,  all  cause  of  complaint  against  them. 

"That  they  act  in  concert  with  his  majesty's  officers,  so  that 
his  troops  may  take  peaceable  possession  of  all  the  forts,  and 
order  be  kept  in  the  country.  By  this  means  alone  they  will 
spare  his  majesty  the  necessity  of  recurring  to  force  of  arms, 
and  will  find  themselves  saved  from  the  scourge  of  a  bloody 
war,  and  of  all  the  evils  which  the  march  of  an  enemy  into 
their  country  would  draw  after  it. 

"We  direct  that  these  presents  be  read,  published,  and  posted 
up  in  the  usual  places. 

"Done  and  given  at  headquarters,  New  York — signed  with 
our  hand — sealed  with  our  seal  at  arms,  and  countersigned  by 
our  secretary,  this  30th  of  December,  1764. 

"THOMAS  GAGE. 

"By  his  excellency,  g.  MATURIN." 

The  population  of  the  Illinois  country  at  the  time  of  its  trans- 
fer to  the  English  was  estimated  as  follows : 


144  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

''White  men  able  to  bear  arms 700 

White  women 500 

Children   850 

Negroes,   both   sexes 900 

Total   2950 

It  is  estimated  that  at  least  one-third  of  all  the  people  left 
when  it  was  finally  known  that  the  British  would  take  charge 
of  Illinois.  Many  went  to  St.  Louis,  some  to  Cape  Girardeau, 
some  to  St.  Mary's,  and  many  to  New  Orleans. 

Some  will  want  to  know  the  end  of  a  man  who  could  for  three 
years  thwart  the  power  of  a  great  government  like  England. 
After  he  signed  a  final  treaty  with  Colonel  Croghan,  he  wan- 
dered about  like  a  man  without  a  country.  He  came  into  the 
west  and  lived  in  the  forest  where  he  could  meditate  on  the 
great  events  of  the  past  decade.  He  is  said  to  have  lived  as  the 
red  men  had  lived  in  an  earlier  day  and  to  have  secured  the 
food  for  his  wife  and  children  by  hunting  and  fishing.  All  this, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  had  held  a  high  military  rank 
in  the  French  organization,  and  wore  on  public  occasions  the 
uniform  of  a  French  officer,  which  is  said  to  have  been  given 
him  shortly  before  the  battle  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham. 

In  his  hours  of  loneliness  in  the  forests  he  would  recall  the 
days  when  Frenchmen  were  his  friends,  and  there  arose  a  great 
desire  to  renew,  even  if  only  temporarily,  his  former  friend- 
ships and  acquaintances.  On  one  such  occasion  he  visited  St. 
Louis  in  April,  1769,  to  spend  some  time  with  two  very  highly 
respected  friends,  Pierre  Chouteau  and  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive. 
He  had  been  cordially  received  and  hospitably  entertained  by 
the  two  noted  Frenchmen  and  was  about  ready  to  return  to  his 
haunts  in  the  forests,  when  he  learned  that  there  was  a  large 
party  of  Indians  carousing  at  old  Cahokia,  just  across  in  Illi- 
nois from  St.  Louis.  He  expressed  his  desire  to  join  these  In- 
dians and  enter  once  more  into  the  joys  of  strong  drink.  He 
was  unavailingly  dissuaded  from  carrying  out  his  intentions. 
He  joined  the  revelers  and  became  intoxicated.  He  may  have 
made  unwise  threats  at  this  time,  at  least  it  was  reported  that 
an  English  trader  hired  a  trifling  Kaskaskia  Indian  to  kill  Pon- 
tiac.  The  pay  the  Indian  received  for  his  dastardly  deed  was 
a  barrel  of  whisky.  His  body  lay  where  it  fell  from  the  blow 
of  a  tomahawk  until  his  white  friend,  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive, 
came  from  St.  Louis  and  claimed  the  body  as  that  of  his  former 
friend.  He  removed  it  to  St.  Louis  where  decent  burial  was 
accorded  it  at  the  hands  of  the  two  French  friends.  In  after 
years  a  bronze  tablet  was  attached  to  a  building  which  stood 
over  the  grave  of  the  great  Indian  chieftain. 


CHAPTER  X 
FRENCH  CONTRIBUTION  TO  ILLINOIS  LIFE* 

After  the  French  Dominion — The  Advent  of  Other  Set- 
tlers— The  French  Elsewhere  in  Illinois — At  Bor- 
bounnais  and  kankakee. 

The  influence  exerted  by  the  French  people  who  first  settled 
Illinois  might  be  viewed  either  from  what  they  were  and  what 
they  did  while  they  were  in  possession  and  control  and  from 
the  situation  and  circumstances  as  affected  by  them  or  what 
they  had  done  after  they  had  been  superseded  in  control  and 
virtually  in  possession. 

Regarding  the  early  French  inhabitants  much  has  been  writ- 
ten, and  much  of  which  is  by  way  of  criticism,  but  the  critics 
were  all  foreigners  or  visitors  or  enemies.  Those  who  lived 
amongst  the  French  and  knew  them  intimately  as  well  as  those 
who  have  made  a  study  of  their  lives,  give  a  different  view. 

John  Reynolds,  who  became  governor  of  Illinois,  was  Illinois' 
earliest  historian.  He  dwelt  amongst  the  French  virtually  all 
his  life  and  has  left  us  this  picture  of  them : 

"The  leaders  of  the  first  French  settlements  of  Illinois  were 
men  of  talents  and  for  the  most  part,  of  classic  education.  They 
were  characters  of  the  first  order  and  rank  in  any  society,  while 
the  payans,  voyageurs  and  couriers  du  bois  were  innocent,  hon- 
est and  kind  and  obedient  to  the  commands  of  their  leaders. 
*  *  *  The  society  in  Illinois  before  any  government  was 
organized  was  moral,  honest  and  innocent  and  perhaps  no  more 
happiness  in  any  other  condition  could  be  enjoyed.  *  *  * 
Kaskaskia  for  many  years  was  the  largest  town  west  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains.  It  was  a  tolerable  place  before  the  ex- 
istence of  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati  or  New  Orleans.  *  *  *  The 
people  being  governed  by  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel,  enforced 
by  the  power  and  influence  of  the  church,  formed  a  pious  and 
religious  community  which  was  the  basis  of  the  happiness  of 
the  Illinois  people  in  the  primitive  times." 

Clarence  Walworth  Alvord,  the  leading  historian  of  the  west 
of  the  present  day,  gives  these  early  French  people  and  the 
manner  of  their  lives  full  credit  and  a  high  place : 

"Although  priests  and  governors  made  loud  complaint  of  the 
disorderliness  of  the  habitants,  yet  their  pleasures  and  vices 
were  of  a  far  milder  type  than  those  of  their  counterparts,  the 
American  backwoodsmen.  The  French  always  retained  a  re- 
spect for  law  and  constituted  authority.     *     *     *     The  picture 

Contributed  by  Joseph  J.  Thompson. 

145 


146  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  the  village  would  be  incomplete  if  limited  to  a  description  of 
the  couriers  du  bois  and  voyageurs;  for  it  was  never  wholly 
vulgarized  and  depraved  owing  to  the  presence  here  of  many 
persons  from  the  better  classes  of  France  and  Canada — the 
gentry,  Clark  called  them — who,  accustomed  to  greater  refine- 
ments of  life  than  those  of  the  log  cabin  endeavored  to  sur- 
round themselves  with  such  little  elegancies  as  might  be  brought 
from  Canada  and  elsewhere.  *  *  *  These  were  the  men 
and  others  like  them,  to  whom  Sir  William  Johnson,  the  British 
commissioner,  referred  when  he  wrote  that  the  French  traders 
were  gentlemen  in  character,  manners  and  dress,  and  'men  of 
ability,  influence  and  address.'  " 

As  a  matter  of  fact  an  analysis  will  demonstrate  that  so  far 
as  progress  and  advancement  are  concerned  the  French  in  Illi- 
nois at  least  kept  up  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  It  proves  noth- 
ing to  point  to  crude  methods  of  agriculture  or  other  industries 
employed  in  the  ancient  settlements.  The  same  or  even  cruder 
methods  were  at  the  time  employed  everywhere. 

A  resume  of  the  progress  of  the  French  people  in  Illinois 
shows  the  establishment  of  five  settlements,  viz. :  Kaskaskia, 
Cahokia,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  St.  Phillippe,  and  Nouvelle  Char- 
tres,  and  an  increase  in  the  population  to  more  than  3,000 
French  settlers.  So  prosperous  and  progressive  were  agricul- 
tural operations  that  when  Captain  Pittman  visited  the  region 
in  1766,  he  was  able  to  report  that  one  settler,  M.  Beauvais, 
furnished  43,000  barrels  of  flour  to  the  King's  commissary  in 
one  year  and  that  was  only  a  part  of  his  harvest.  In  fact  the 
French  inhabitants  became  the  providers  for  the  dwellers  of 
the  lower  Mississippi  settlements,  the  support  of  the  French 
and  British  forces  in  the  Mississippi  valley  and  even  sent  con- 
signments of  foodstuffs  east  in  post  Revolution  days  besides 
supporting  and  providing  for  Clark's  army  and  sustaining  the 
Virginia  and  subsequent  governments. 

After  the  French  Dominion 

The  good  nature  and  trustfulness  of  the  French  have  been, 
painted  as  supineness.  But  the  French  inhabitants  of  Illinois 
demanded  autonomy  from  English  rule  as  early  as  1770,  six 
years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  five  years 
before  the  declaration  of  Mecklenburg.  "The  French  in  Louisi- 
ana," says  Rosengarten  in  his  "French  Colonists  and  Exiles  in 
the  United  States,"  "have  the  glory  of  having  thought  of  estab- 
lishing a  republican  form  of  government  in  America  in  1768, 
eight  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence."  Soon  they 
translated  their  thoughts  into  action.  On  August  24,  1770, 
pursuant  to  a  call  for  the  purpose,  the  French  residents  of  Illi- 
nois met  as  Kaskaskia,  declared  for  an  autonomous  government, 
and  commissioned  Daniel  Blouin  to  go  to  New  York  and  lay  their 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  147 

demands  before  General  Gage,  the  military  ruler.  Blouin  se- 
lected as  a  fellow  commissioner,  William  Clazon,  and  after  some 
rebuffs  from  General  Gage,  set  before  that  officer  a  plan  of 
representative  government.  The  plan  was  rejected,  an  imperial 
plan  suggested,  and  ignoring  the  commissioners,  the  inhabitants 
were  called  together  in  1772  to  consider  the  substitute  plan. 
When  Hamilton,  the  lieutenant  governor,  addressed  them  he  re- 
ported, "They  were  very  high  on  the  occasion."  And  they  let 
him  know  that  they  "expected  to  appoint  their  governor  and 
all  other  civil  magistrates."  Upon  being  requested  to  draw 
up  a  plan  of  government  they  informed  Hamilton  that  they  had 
deputed  Daniel  Blouin  to  represent  them  before  General  Gage, 
and  that  until  they  could  learn  what  success  he  had  met  with 
they  would  give  no  definite  answer. 

This  bit  of  little  known  history  makes  it  easy  to  understand 
how  the  French  at  the  very  earliest  opportunity,  which  was  the. 
campaign  of  George  Rogers  Clark  in  1778,  gladly  threw  off  the 
British  yoke  and  espoused  the  American  cause. 

This  period  and  these  events  cannot  be  understood  without 
reference  to  the  French-Canadian  priest,  Pierre  Gibault.  He 
was  in  every  sense  the  leader  of  the  French  in  Illinois  from 
his  arrival  in  1768  to  the  end  of  the  century.  He  favored  the 
American  cause  and  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  the  bloodless 
but  successful  conquest  of  the  Illinois  posts  and  of  Vincennes 
and  the  Wabash  country.  After  the  war  he  sustained  the  Amer- 
ican government  in  its  darkest  hours  in  the  west  and  spent 
himself  and  his  substance  for  his  country  and  his  people  and 
went  to  his  grave  wholly  unrequited. 

The  Advent  of  Other  Settlers 

Control  passed  from  the  French  in  Illinois  after  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  due  perhaps  to  the  fact  that  few  French  names 
appear  in  the  lists  of  officeholders  in  the  new  governments,  it 
has  been  inferred  that  the  French  population  ceased  to  be  an 
element  of  importance  in  the  subsequent  history  of  Illinois. 
Loose  statements  are  found  in  accounts  of  the  period  to  the 
effect  that  all  able  Frenchmen,  men  of  importance,  left  Illinois 
and  went  to  Missouri  or  elsewhere  following  the  occupation  of 
the  former  French  territory  by  the  English  in  1763-5.  An  ex- 
amination of  the  records  and  established  historical  data  with 
reference  to  who  left  and  who  remained  proves  these  state- 
ments unfounded ;  for  while  a  number  of  residents  did  leave  the. 
Illinois  side  and  go  over  into  the  Spanish  domain  on  the  west- 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  in  1790 
"Kaskaskia  was  one  of  the  largest  towns  west  of  the  Alleghany 
mountains"  and  the  population  was  almost  wholly  French. 

It  was,  of  course,  a  disappointment  to  the  French  inhabitants 
when  England  came  into  possession  of  their  country,  and  they 


148  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

were  at  some  loss  as  to  what  action  they  would  take.  In  their 
perplexity  they  asked  the  English  commander  for  a  period  of 
nine  months  in  which  to  decide  whether  they  would  stay  or  sell 
their  property  and  leave.  The  commander  refused  so  long  a 
period  but  granted  a  shorter  one,  and  the  inhabitants  with  his 
knowledge  and  consent,  petitioned  General  Gage,  the  governor 
general,  for  a  period  of  nine  months'  delay.  The  petition  was 
forwarded  by  Captain  Thomas  Stirling,  the  local  English  com- 
mander, under  date  of  October  18,  1765,  and  contained  the  names 
of  the  leading  Frenchmen  of  the  region  as  follows:  De  Roche- 
blave,  La  Grange,  Gavobert  Duplasy,  Du  Lude,  Charleville,  Au- 
bochon,  Jr.,  Cerre,  H.  Brazeaux,  Gandouin,  J.  Baptiste  Beau- 
vais,  Blouin,  Tessier  dit  La  Vigne,  Mere  Pilotte,  Baptiste  Moyot, 
Jacques  Bileront,  Hubert  LaRue,  De  Girardot,  Calamanderie, 
J.  M.  Mercier,  Lonoval,  Janis,  Lachanse,  J.  Lasource,  Francois 
Ricard. 

Every  one  of  these  prominent  people,  and  some  of  them,  and 
some  of  their  descendants,  became  still  more  prominent,  re- 
mained in  their  residences  in  Illinois  until  their  death,  so  far 
as  the  record  discloses,  with  the  exception  of  Rocheblave,  who 
afterward  became  the  commandant  for  the  English  and  was 
the  representative  of  the  British  power  in  Kaskaskia  when 
George  Rogers  Clark,  with  the  invaluable  aid  of  Father  Gibault, 
captured  the  country  and  sent  Rocheblave  a  prisoner  to  Patrick 
Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  in  Virginia.  Cere  later  made  his 
home  in  St.  Louis. 

There  were  many  other  influential  Frenchmen  not  named  on 
the  petition  who  remained,  and  many  others  came  and  stayed. 
Amongst  the  important  Frenchmen,  men  of  the  very  highest 
standing,  who  were  in  Illinois  during  the  early  days  of  Kas- 
kaskia, Cahokia,  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  Peoria,  who  remained, 
may  be  named  Nicholas  Jarrot,  who  was  in  Illinois  from  1794 
until  his  death  in  1832.  Jean  Baptiste  Saucier  was  one  of  the 
greatest  among  the  great  men  of  early  Illinois  who  remained 
here  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father-in-law  of  such  noted 
men  in  the  future  history  of  the  community  as  Col.  Pierre 
Menard,  Colonel  Choteau,  Sr.,  James  Morrison  and  Adam  Sny- 
der. James  Francois  Perry  was  here  from  1792  until  his  death. 
He  also  married  a  daughter  of  Saucier.  Michael  LeCroix  was  a 
very  prominent  Frenchman  who  remained  here  until  his  death 
in  1821.  The  Quentine  village  was  settled  by  De  Lorme  and  a 
number  of  Frenchmen  who  came  into  Illinois  in  1804.  The 
Penseneaux  were  some  of  the  most  prominent  French  people 
that  ever  came  to  Illinois  and  the  three  brothers  with  their  large 
families  were  here  during  that  period.  August  Choteau  re- 
mained in  the  territory  and  after  the  War  of  1812  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  commissioners  to  treat  with  the  Indians. 
Later  he  resided  in  St.  Louis. 


MAP   OP  AMERICAN   BOTTOM,    SHOWING   OLD    FRENCH   VILLAGES 


150  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

As  is  well  known,  Pierre  Menard  was  a  leading  public  man 
from  the  time  he  came  into  the  region  until  his  death,  being  the 
leading  spirit  in  the  territorial  legislature  and  the  first  lieuten- 
ant-governor of  the  state. 

Judge  Gillespie,  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  early  pioneers,  who 
knew  most  of  the  Frenchmen  of  the  period  in  question,  says : 

"Certain  of  these  old  French  families  have  displayed  a  vigor 
and  energy  which  cannot  be  surpassed.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
Choteaus,  the  Valles,  the  Pratts,  the  Gratiots,  old  Pierre  Menard, 
and  Nicholas  Jarrot  and  his  son,  Vital,  were  men  whose  lives 
were  given  to  almost  romantic  business  adventure.  They  were 
the  first  to  develop  the  Missouri  and  Galena  lead  mines.  The 
'fur  trade'  was  by  some  of  them  carried  to  a  distance  of  thou- 
sands of  miles.  They  had  their  trading  posts  all  along  the  foot 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  explored  every  river  that  runs 
into  the  Mississippi  to  its  source  in  their  trading  excursions, 
and  even  took  in  New  Mexico  when  it  was  a  province  of  Spain. 
I  know  of  none  who  has  been  so  instrumental  in  bringing  to 
light  the  inexhaustible  resources  of  Missouri  and  developing 
the  iron  industry  of  St.  Louis,  as  Choteau,  Harrison  and  Valle. 

"The  'Mound  City'  would  never  have  been  what  she  is  but 
for  the  enterprise,  judgment  and  daring  of  these  old  French 
families.  *  *  *  Without  them  this  country  would  not  have 
been  discovered  so  soon.  Without  them  we  should  have  had 
greater  difficulties  to  encounter  with  the  Indians.  They  could 
penetrate  farther  into  the  western  wilds  than  the  Americans. 
They  were  better  acquainted  with  the  Indian  character  than 
we  were. 

"To  some  of  these  we  are  indebted  in  more  recent  times.  It 
may  not  be  generally  known,  but  is  nevertheless  true,  that  one 
of  the  finest  military  engineers  in  the  world  was  General  Gra- 
tiot, who  designed  and  constructed  Fortress  Monroe,  and  who 
for  a  long  time  was  at  the  head  of  the  engineering  department 
of  the  United  States.  He  was  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity, 
added  to  great  professional  ability.  If  that  fortress  had  not 
been  so  formidable,  and  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels, 
it  might  have  cost  greater  efforts  and  loss  of  life  and  treasure, 
to  have  maintained  the  supremacy  of  the  law  and  integrity  of 
the  Union.  General  Gratiot  belonged  to  one  of  those  French 
families.  I  can  say  that,  after  devoting  all  his  energies  to  the 
promotion  of  the  welfare  of  his  country,  General  Gratiot  was 
poorly  requited." 

Not  Gratiot  alone,  but  all  the  French  were  poorly  requited. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  the  conclusions  of  Dunn,  the  Indiana 
historian : 

"In  truth,  our  French  friends  fared  hardly  under  American 
rule,  and  none  so  badly  as  Father  Gibault,  who  did  not  get  any 
return  in  land  as  a  militiaman  or  the  head  of  a  family.    *     *     * 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  151 

He  never  received  a  particle  of  compensation  from  Virginia  or 
the  United  States  for  his  services  and  he  never  received  one 
cent  of  repayment  for  money  and  goods  actually  furnished  to 
the  troops.  The  situation  seems  almost  incredible,  but  it  was 
a  horrible  reality.  The  French  claimants  had  neither  the  knowl- 
edge nor  the  pecuniary  ability  to  press  their  claims  and  there 
was  no  one  to  do  it  for  them." 

From  his  examination  of  documents  and  records  Dr.  Alvord 
concludes  that  the  men  who  gave  most  generously  and  suffered 
most  for  the  American  cause  in  Illinois  were  Daniel  Murray, 
Richard  Winston,  Cere,  Janis,  the  Charlevilles,  the  Beauvais, 
Duplasy,  the  Bienveneaus,  of  Kaskaskia,  Barbeau  of  Prairie  du 
Rocher,  Godin,  Trottier,  Gibault,  La  Croix,  Gratiot,  and  Macarty 
of  Cahokia,  La  Gros,  Huberdean,  and  Bosseron  of  Vincennes  and 
Vigo  with  possibly  others  of  St.  Louis.  But,  he  says,  "In  fact 
the  list  of  those  who  at  this  time  or  later  furnished  supplies  on 
credit  is  a  very  long  one,  including  almost  every  man  of  property 
in  Illinois.  Gratiot  of  Cahokia,  Cere  of  Kaskaskia,  and  Vigo  of 
St.  Louis  have  always  received  due  credit  for  the  assistance  they 
furnished,  but  they  were  more  active  than  the  other  members  of 
the  French  villages.  *  *  *  Richard  Winston,  who  at  the 
time  of  Clark  was  regarded  as  wealthy,  died  in  poverty ;  and  the 
Beauvais  family  was  reduced  to  almost  the  same  extremity." 

The  French  Elsewhere  in  Illinois 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  Marquette,  Joliet,  La  Salle,  and 
Deforest  all  were  connected  in  one  way  or  another  with  Chi- 
cago, and  when  time  of  permanent  settlement  came  it  was 
Frenchmen  that  founded  and  settled  that  city. 

Beyond  doubt  the  first  white  man  about  modern  Chicago  was 
Antoine  Ouilmette,  the  old  Frenchman  for  which  the  thriving 
City  of  Wilmette  has  been  named.  He  was  about  the  region 
in  1790.  The  next  Frenchman  was  Francis  La  Mai.  He  and 
Jean  Baptiste  Peltiere  and  their  families  were  living  at  the 
present  site  of  Chicago  in  1699  for  on  October  7th  of  that  year 
they  traveled  to  Missouri  and  had  their  children  baptized  in 
the  cathedral  at  St.  Louis  by  Rev.  C.  Lusson,  as  appears  by  the 
baptismal  record  still  extant. 

The  first  white  men  to  come  to  Chicago  after  the  Chicago 
massacre  of  1812  and  began  the  settlement  over  again,  were 
the  Beaubiens,  John  Baptiste  and  Mark,  and  their  families,  Paul 
and  Joseph  La  Framboise,  and  Pierre  LeClerc.  At  the  time 
Chicago  was  incorporated  in  1831,  90  per  cent  of  the  people  there 
were  French. 

Amongst  men  of  distinction  in  early  Chicago  who  were  French 
besides  those  named,  may  be  mentioned  Joseph  Bailey,  Medard 
Beaubien,  a  prominent  business  man,  and  Charles  H.  Beaubien, 
a  graduate  of  Princeton  and  almost  the  first  school  teacher  in 


152  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Chicago.  A  little  later  there  were  amongst  the  French  citizens, 
Peter  De  Mevelle,  who  came  to  Chicago  in  1837.  P.  J.  Rofino, 
David  Franchere,  N.  Franchere,  0.  J.  Franchere,  Joseph  Le 
Pitre,  Doctors  Mrguerat  and  Henrotin,  J.  Menard,  P.  L.  Labbe, 
Joseph  Poitras,  Cyril  LeBeau,  J.  B.  Valliquet,  Victor  Gerardin, 
Duchene  De  Meville.  Later,  Z.  P.  Brosseau,  the  Plamondons, 
and  the  Bergerons  and  many  others. 

At  Borbounnais  and  Kankakee 

The  modern  City  of  Kankakee  and  its  surrounding  territory 
was  settled  and  developed  by  the  French.  Borbounnais  Grove 
was  the  place  of  pioneer  settlement  and  Noel  Le  Vasseur  was 
the  pioneer  settler,  arriving  there  in  1832.  He  was  soon  joined 
by  Henry  Boucher,  Dominic  Brais,  Louis  Granpre,  Elois  Ber- 
geron and  John  Flageole.  The  settlement  grew  and  prospered 
and  the  Frenchmen  from  various  parts  settled  throughout  the 
country. 

Among  deserving  names  of  Frenchmen  of  a  later  day  than 
old  Kaskaskia  should  be  mentioned  Pierre  LaClede,  the  founder 
of  St.  Louis,  and  his  but  little  less  noted  associate,  Pierre  Cho- 
teau;  Francis  De  Langdale  of  Wisconsin,  Antoine  LeClaire  of 
Iowa,  the  founder  of  Davenport,  Solomon  Juneau  and  Joseph 
Le  Croix  of  Milwaukee,  Louis  Viviat  of  several  states,  Pierre 
Navarre,  thirty-six  of  whose  names  and  connections  fought  on 
the  side  of  the  United  States  in  the  War  of  1812,  the  Godefroi 
brothers  and  their  numerous  descendants  whose  name  has  be- 
come Godfrey,  all  of  whom  had  more  or  less  connection  with 
the  progress  and  development  of  Illinois. 

The  geography  of  Illinois  bears  the  impress  of  the  French 
in  a  long  list  of  names  of  rivers,  counties  and  cities,  such  as 
Champaign,  Fayette,  Joliet,  La  Grange,  La  Harp,  La  Salle, 
Marengo,  Marseilles,  Massac,  Menard,  Meredosia,  Prairie  Du 
Rocher,  Rochelle,  Saint  Anne  and  others. 

Senator  Henry  Cabot  Lodge,  in  an  article  in  the  Century  mag-u 
azine  on  ''The  Distribution  of  Ability  in  the  United  States" 
(reprinted  in  his  "Historical  and  Political  Essays"),  says: 

"If  we  add  the  French  and  the  French  Huguenots  together, 
we  find  that  people  of  the  French  blood  exceed  absolutely,  in 
the  ability  produced,  all  other  races  represented  in  Appleton's 
Encyclopedia  of  American  Biography,  except  the  English  and 
Scotch  Irish,  and  show  a  percentage  in  proportion  to  their  orig- 
inal immigration  much  higher  than  that  of  any  other  race." 

To  sum  up:  Frenchmen  discovered,  explored  and  settled 
Illinois  and  for  a  full  century  held  sway  in  the  wilderness  sur- 
rounded by  savages,  some  of  whom  they  tamed  and  civilized. 
French  missionaries  brought  and  spread  Christianity  here,  mak- 
ing Illinois  the  seat  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  mid-America; 
the  French  laid  the  foundations  of  our  prosperity  and  conquered 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  153 

the  wilderness.  Frenchmen  in  Illinois  gave  the  world  the  first 
and  best  example  of  civilizing  the  savage.  Frenchmen  of  Illi- 
nois gave  success  to  the  Virginia  conquest  and  gained  for  the 
United  States  a  vast  empire.  The  French  priest,  Pierre  Gibault, 
who  rendered  valuable  and,  in  this,  the  most  important  event 
in  the  history  of  the  region  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  Frenchman  and  others  who  aided 
him  deserve  the  undying  gratitude  of  all  succeeding  genera- 
tions. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ILLINOIS  UNDER  BRITISH   CONTROL 

Movement  West — Description  of  Illinois — A  Prophecy — 
Courts  Established — Captain  Philip  Pittman — Fort 
Chartres  Abandoned — The  Quebec  Act. 

By  the  unfurling  of  the  banner  of  Great  Britain  over  the  ram- 
parts of  Fort  Chartres  October  10,  1765,  the  civil  and  military 
jurisdiction  of  the  British  Empire  was  extended  to  include  all  the 
continent  of  North  America  East  of  the  Mississippi  as  far  north 
and  including  Hudson  Bay.  The  precarious  hold  which  Spain 
had  on  the  Floridas  modifies  the  above  statement.  A  million  and 
a  half  of  population,  almost  wholly  English,  was  fairly  regularly 
distributed  over  that  part  of  the  above  territory  south  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  north  of  Florida,  and  east  of  the  Alleghanies.  They 
were  gradually  moving  west  and  seeking  the  passes  in  the  Alle- 
ghanies, and  the  routes  to  the  west  around  the  south  end,  and 
through  the  low  barriers  of  the  north  end.  Already  individuals 
from  the  "Old  Thirteen"  had  crossed  over  and  had  spied  out  the 
land  in  the  rich  river  valleys.  In  addition  the  French  and  Indian 
war  had  furnished  an  opportunity  for  many  adventurous  spirits 
to  become  enamored  of  the  New  West — the  "back  country"  as 
the  Virginians  called  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghany.  Penn- 
sylvania's grant  extended  west  far  enough  to  include  all  the 
streams  that  make  up  the  headwaters  of  the  Ohio  and  many  of  her 
own  people  had  gone  into  this  region  and  had  established  perma- 
nent settlements. 

Movement  West 

There  was  therefore  before  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian 
wars  a  great  body  of  English  settlers  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  from  the  states  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia, 
and  the  Carolinas.  This  movement  of  the  bone  and  sinew  of 
the  "Old  Thirteen"  beyond  the  mountains  alarmed  the  Royal 
governors  and  protests  were  sent  to  the  British  government. 
Just  as  soon  as  the  war  closed  therefore  the  King  issued  his 
celebrated  proclamation  of  October  7,  1763,  as  follows 
(abridged)  : 

"No  governor  or  commander-in-chief  shall  grant  warrants  of 
survey,  or  pass  patents,  for  any  lands  beyond  the  heads  or  sources 
of  any  of  the  rivers  which  fall  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean  from  the 
west  or  northwest,  or  upon  any  lands  whatever,  which  have  not 
been  ceded  to  or  purchased  by  us,  such  lands  are  reserved  to  the 

154 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  155 

Indians.  And  it  is  strictly  forbidden  on  pain  of  our  displeasure, 
for  any  or  all  of  our  loving  subjects  to  make  any  purchases  or 
settlements  whatever,  or  taking  possession  of  Indian  lands  with- 
out our  special  leave  or  license,  for  that  purpose  first  obtained. 

And  whereas  great  frauds  and  abuses  have  been  committed  in 
purchasing  lands  of  the  Indians  to  the  great  prejudice  of  our 
interests  and  to  the  great  dissatisfaction  of  the  said  Indians; 
in  order,  therefore,  to  prevent  such  irregularities  for  the  future, 
and  to  the  end  that  the  Indians  may  be  convinced  of  our  justice 
and  determined  resolution  to  remove  all  reasonable  cause  of  dis- 
content; we  do,  with  the  advice  of  our  privy  council  strictly  en- 
join and  require,  that  no  private  person  do  presume  to  make 
any  purchase  from  said  Indians,  of  any  lands  reserved  to  the 
said  Indians  within  those  parts  of  our  colonies  where  we  have 
thought  proper  to  allow  settlements. 

But  that,  if  at  any  time  any  of  the  Indians  should  be  inclined 
to  dispose  of  the  said  lands,  the  same  shall  be  purchased  only 
for  us  in  our  name,  at  some  public  meeting  or  assembly  of  the 
said  Indians,  to  be  held  for  that  purpose  by  the  governor  or 
commander-in-chief  of  our  colony  respectively,  within  the  limits 
of  any  proprietors,  comfortably  to  such  directions  and  instruc- 
tions as  we  or  they  shall  think  proper  to  give  for  that  purpose." 

Notwithstanding  this  very  explicit  instruction  to  the  King's 
agents  in  America,  the  work  of  making  grants  went  on  in  an 
open-faced  manner.  So  many  people  were  moving  over  the 
mountains  that  George  III  wrote  a  letter  to  John  Penn,  Esquire, 
Lieutenant  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  on  October  24,  1765,  in 
which  he  gives  him  direction  as  to  this  matter: 

"Whereas,  it  hath  been  represented  unto  us  that  several  per- 
sons from  Pennsylvania  and  the  back  settlements  of  Virginia 
have  migrated  to  the  westward  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  and 
these  have  seated  themselves  on  lands  contiguous  to  the  River 
Ohio,  in  express  disobedience  to  our  Royal  Proclamation  of 
October,  1763,  it  is  therefore  our  will  and  pleasure,  and  you  are 
hereby  strictly  enjoined  and  required  to  use  your  best  endeavors 
to  suppress  such  unwarrantable  proceedings,  and  to  put  a  stop 
to  these  and  other  like  encroachments  for  the  future,  by  causing 
all  persons  belonging  to  the  province  under  your  government 
who  have  thus  irregularly  seated  themselves  on  lands  to  the 
westward  of  the  Alleghanies  immediately  to  evacuate  those  set- 
tlements, and  that  you  do  enforce  as  far  as  you  are  able,  a  more 
strict  obedience  to  our  commands  signified  in  Our  Said  Royal 
Proclamation,  and  provide  against  any  future  violation  thereof." 

In  1774  John  Murray,  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  the  last  British 
governor  of  Virginia,  encouraged  the  people  of  Virginia  "to  take 
warrants  from  him  for  lands  in  the  Ohio  Valley."  Many  of 
these  land  warrants  were  issued  and  the  holders  crossed  over  the 
mountains  and  laid  claims  along  the  Ohio  River. 


156  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Butler's  History  of  Kentucky  gives  very  readable  and  accurate 
accounts  of  the  coming  of  hunters,  settlers,  and  explorers  into 
the  territory  which  afterwards  formed  the  State  of  Kentucky. 
These  adventurous  Virginians  paid  no  attention  to  the  proc- 
lamation of  George  III  forbidding  the  settling  of  the  territory 
west  of  the  Alleghanies.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  however, 
that  many  of  the  early  men  whose  names  are  very  familiar  in 
Kentucky's  history  were  not  real  settlers,  but  at  first  they  were 
merely  casting  about  looking  for  the  best  lands  and  locating 
claims  which  had  been  granted  by  Lord  Dunmore,  or  obtained 
from  the  Indians  by  direct  cession.  It  was  not  till  1774  that 
the  first  permanent  home  was  built — a  log  cabin  built  by  James 
Harrod  on  the  present  site  of  Harrodsburg,  Kentucky.  However, 
there  must  have  been  a  rapid  influx  of  settlers  in  1774  and  1775, 
as  there  were  enough  people  near  Harrodsburg  to  organize  a 
militia  company  in  the  spring  of  1776. 

We  have  thus  shown  briefly  how  the  English  settlers  moved 
over  the  Alleghanies  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Western  Penn- 
sylvania, West  Virginia,  Kentucky  and  in  Tennessee.  But  this 
wave  of  population  had  in  no  instances  crossed  the  Ohio  into 
Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois.  From  the  day  that  Captain  Sterling 
ran  up  the  British  flag  on  the  walls  of  Fort  Chartres,  to  the 
coming  of  George  Rogers  Clark  in  1778,  no  English  speaking 
people  had  come  into  the  Illinois  country,  except  those  connected 
with  the  little  "army  of  occupation."  Between  1765  and  1774, 
the  Illinois  country  was  virtually  under  a  military  rule.  The 
Commandants  of  the  Illinois  country  during  the  period  of  British 
occupation  were: 

Capt.  Thomas  Sterling 1765 

Maj.  Robert  Farmer 1765-1766 

Col.  Edward  Cole 1666-1768 

Col.  John  Reed 1768-1768 

Lt.  Col.  John  Wilkins 1768-1771 

Capt.  Hugh  Lord 1771-1775 

Capt.  Mathew  Johnson 1775-1776 

Chevalier  de  Rocheblave 1776-1778 

Description  of  Illinois 

Two  letters  were  written  from  Fort  Chartres  during  the  stay 
of  Captain  Sterling.  One  written  by  Lieut.  James  Eidington 
on  October  17,  1765.  The  other  written  by  Captain  Sterling, 
himself,  October  18, 1765.  In  the  letter  of  October  17,  the  writer 
speaks  in  very  uncomplimentary  terms  of  the  French  soldiers, 
forty  in  number,  who  were  holding  the  fort  upon  the  arrival 
of  Captain  Sterling.  He  says  the  merchants  or  storekeepers 
charged  the  British  soldiers  immoderate  prices  for  the  things 
they  buy.     He  says  the  price  of  a  gallon  of  brandy  is  twenty 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  157 

shillings,  and  eatables  in  proportion.  The  country  is  fine  and 
the  soil  very  productive,  but  the  land  is  very  flat  and  hence  un- 
healthful.  This  Lieutenant  says  that  Fort  Chartres  is  the  finest 
stone  fort  he  has  ever  seen,  but  that  there  are  no  stores.  He 
says  there  are  several  French  villages  round  about.  He  says 
they  are  looking  daily  for  Maj.  Alexander  Fraser  who  was  com- 
ing up  the  Mississippi  from  Mobile  with  the  Thirty-fourth  Regi- 
ment to  relieve  them.  The  writer  intimates  that  they  are  anxious 
to  be  relieved. 

The  second  letter  referred  to  above  was  written  by  Captain 
Sterling,  October  18,  1765,  only  eight  days  after  he  had  accepted 
the  surrender  of  the  fort.  He  states  it  took  him  forty-seven  days 
to  come  from  Fort  Pitt  to  Fort  Chartres.  He  says  as  they 
passed  Kaskaskia  going  up  the  Mississippi  they  found  the  Kas- 
kaskia  Indians  very  sullen  and  even  threatening.  Speaks  of  St. 
Genevieve  just  across  in  Missouri  as  having  twenty-five  families 
and  of  St.  Louis  as  having  forty  families.  He  says  Cahokia  is  the 
second  largest  of  the  French  villages.  The  village  at  the  fort, 
New  Chartres,  was  nearly  depopulated.  Captain  Sterling  says 
there  are  only  twenty  French  soldiers  with  St.  Ange.  There 
were  no  judges,  no  police.  He  complains  that  he  has  no  inter- 
preter and  no  presents  to  give  the  Indians.  He  transmits  with 
this  letter  to  General  Gage  a  complete  "Proces-Verbal  de  la 
Cession  Du  Fort  Chartr."  This  is  a  very  complete  list  and 
description  of  the  fort  and  everything  in  and  about  it. 

Captain  Sterling  found  much  opposition  to  the  oath  of  alleg- 
iance which  he  asked  the  inhabitants  to  take,  and  he  says  that 
it  looked  as  if  every  person  would  go  across  the  river  rather 
than  take  the  oath.  He  therefore  modified  the  oath  to  mean 
that  they  would  be  loyal  to  the  King  of  England  so  long  as  they 
resided  in  the  Illinois  country.  He  estimates  that  there  are  fifty 
families  at  Kaskaskia,  forty  at  Cahokia,  while  Prairie  du  Rocher, 
New  Chartres,  and  St.  Philippe  are,  practically  deserted.  He 
says  the  fort  at  Kaskaskia  and  the  one  at  Cahokia  are  nearly  use- 
less as  they  have  fallen  in  and  are  decayed — from  which  we  infer 
they  were  constructed  of  wood. 

The  second,  third  and  fourth  commandants  remained,  sever- 
ally, but  a  short  time  and  there  is  nothing  of  consequence  to 
record  during  their  time.  But  the  fifth  commandant,  Col.  John 
Wilkins  ruled  some  three  years  and  introduced  some  reforms  in 
the  general  ongoing  of  the  Illinois  country.  Colonel  Wilkins 
brought  seven  companies  of  soldiers  with  him  from  the  east. 
These  troops  found  a  new  enemy  in  the  material  conditions  about 
Fort  Chartres.  This  enemy  of  good  health  carried  off  three 
officers,  twenty-five  men,  twenty-seven  women  and  children  in  a 
few  days  more  than  a  month's  time. 


158  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

A  Prophecy 

Sir  William  Johnson,  his  Majesty's  superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs,  gave  careful  attention  to  the  Indians  in  the  Illinois 
country.  The  opposition  of  the  British  government  to  the  set- 
tling of  the  back  country —  the  lands  west  of  the  Ohio — has 
been  considered  in  a  preceding  paragraph.  General  Gage  in 
writing  to  the  government  in  England  said:  "As  to  increasing 
the  settlements  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  (in  the  Illinois  country) 
I  conceive  it  altogether  inconsistent  with  sound  policy.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  years  necessity  would  force  them  to  provide 
manufactures  of  some  kind  for  themselves,  and  when  all  con- 
nection, upheld  by  commerce,  with  the  mother  country  shall 
cease,  it  may  be  expected  that  an  independency  in  her  govern- 
ment will  soon  follow."  The  governor  of  Georgia  in  a  letter  to 
the  Lords  of  Trade  said:  "This  matter,  my  lords,  of  granting 
large  bodies  of  land  in  the  back  parts  of  any  of  his  Majesty's 
northern  colonies  appears  to  me  in  a  very  serious  and  alarming 
light.  If  a  vast  territory  be  granted  to  any  set  of  gentlemen  who 
really  mean  to  people  it,  and  actually  do  so,  it  must  draw  and 
carry  out  a  great  number  of  people  from  Great  Britain,  and  I 
apprehend  they  will  soon  become  a  kind  of  separate  and  inde- 
pendent people,  who  will  set  up  for  themselves,  and  they  will 
soon  have  manufactures  of  their  own,  and  in  process  of  time 
they  will  soon  become  formidable  enough  to  oppose  his  majesty's 
authority." 

Courts  Established 

Some  of  the  Commandants  who  preceded  Wilkins  were  very 
tyrannical  toward  the  French  who  had  so  lately  become  British 
subjects.  Colonel  Wilkins  was  therefore  authorized  to  organize 
a  system  of  courts  in  the  Illinois  country.  This  court  was  to  try 
civil  cases.  Looking  to  this  end  Colonel  Wilkins  selected  seven 
good  men  and  true  who  should  sit  as  a  court.  They  were  to 
meet  monthly  at  Fort  Chartres.  This  court  held  its  first  session 
at  Fort  Chartres  Dec.  6,  1768.  This  has  been  called  the  first 
court  of  common  law  jurisdiction  ever  held  in  Illinois.  There 
was  under  this  plan  no  appeal  from  the  decisions  of  this  court 
as  there  was  no  higher  law  court — and  there  was  no  lower  law 
court,  so  there  could  be  no  appeal  and  it  was  therefore  a  court 
of  original  jurisdiction.  The  French  citizens  did  not  like  this 
system  of  jurisprudence,  for  they  could  not  understand  how  a 
jury  made  up  of  unlearned  farmers,  woodsmen,  and  laborers 
could  make  just  decisions  about  the  law.  For  a  period  of  seventy 
years  these  people  had  been  ruled  by  the  arbitrary  decisions  of 
priests  and  commandants,  and  the  English  system  was  not  at 
all  a  welcome  change. 

It  appears  that  Colonel  Wilkins  was  concerned  in  some  grants 
of  land  which  he  himself  made,  and  which  were  afterwards  con- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  159 

firmed  by  Governor  St.  Clair  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  It  is 
claimed  that  Colonel  Wilkins  granted  many  thousands  of  acres 
to  prominent  Americans  reserving  always  one-sixth  part  of  the 
grant  to  himself. 

In  1773  while  Capt.  Hugh  Lord  was  commandant  at  Fort 
Chartres  a  company  was  organized  known  as  the  "Illinois  Land 
Company."  This  company  obtained  two  grants  of  land  from 
the  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  and  Peoria  Indians.  One  grant  included 
about  ten  of  the  most  southern  counties  of  Illinois,  while  the 
second  grant  included  a  strip  of  land  lying  along  the  east  side 
of  the  Illinois  River  from  its  mouth  to  Chicago  and  averaging 
thirty  or  forty  miles  in  width.  These  two  grants  were  paid  for 
by  the  grantees  with  large  quantities  of  clothing,  blankets,  pow- 
der, guns,  flour,  corn,  horses,  cattle,  and  some  money. 

Other  grants  were  obtained  by  a  company  called  the  "Wabash 
Land  Company."  These  grants  lay  in  the  eastern  part  of  Illinois 
and  in  the  west  part  of  Indiana.  It  is  said  that  all  these  grants 
were  regularly  recorded  in  the  Notary's  office  at  Kaskaskia. 
These  grantees  made  persistent  efforts  to  get  the  United  States 
Congress  to  confirm  these  grants  and  for  thirty  years  they  plead 
with  Congress,  but  Congress  was  firm  and  refused  to  be  a  party 
to  so  gigantic  a  steal. 

Capt.  Philip  Pittman 

Capt.  Philip  Pittman  was  commissioned  an  ensign  in  the  Brit- 
ish army  July  13,  1760.  He  is  supposed  to  have  come  from 
Havana  to  Pensacola  with  the  British  troops  that  took  charge 
of  the  Floridas  at  conclusion  of  the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763. 
Parkman  says  Pittman  tried  to  steal  into  the  Illinois  country  in 
the  troublous  days  of  Pontiac,  as  a  French  trader,  but  abandoned 
the  enterprise.  In  the  spring  of  1765  Pittman  was  surveying  on 
the  lower  Mississippi.  He  ascended  the  Mississippi  River  with 
Maj.  Robert  Farmer  who  was  on  his  way  to  relieve  Captain 
Sterling  of  the  command  of  Fort  Chartres.  Major  Farmer 
reached  the  fort  December  4,  1765,  and  relieved  Captain  Sterling, 
having  been  more  than  five  months  on  the  way  from  Pensacola. 
This  slow  journey  up  the  Mississippi  gave  Captain  Pittman  an 
opportunity  to  make  careful  study  of  all  forts,  and  settlements 
which  had  come  under  the  control  of  Great  Britain  by  reason 
of  the  cession  of  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  to  the 
English. 

Captain  Pittman  as  an  engineer  in  the  British  army  was 
authorized  to  make  careful  surveys  of  all  the  newly  acquired 
possessions  of  his  government.  This  he  did.  It  appears  that 
Captain  Pittman  was  under  the  direction  of  Gen.  Frederick 
Haldiman  who  at  that  time  was  in  command  of  the  Floridas. 
This  appears  because  his  reports  of  "surveys"  are  addressed  to 


160  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

General  Haldiman  and  are  signed  Lieutenant  Pittman,  Royal 
Engineer.  Lieutenant  Pittman  returned  to  England  in  1770  and 
published  a  small  book  or  pamphlet  entitled :  "The  Present  State 
of  the  European  Settlements  on  the  Mississippi." 

From  the  arrangement  of  the  matter  in  the  book  it  appears 
as  intimated  above  that  the  "surveys"  were  made  as  he  came 
up  the  river  with  Major  Farmer.  So  he  commences  his  descrip- 
tion with  Balize  at  the  mouth  of  the  southeast  pass  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. He  comes  up  the  river  and  gives  a  description  of  New 
Orleans  and  thence  up  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  where 
he  strikes  the  Illinois  country.  The  first  place  of  course  as  he 
comes  up  the  river  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  is  the  village 
of  Kaskaskia,  and  this  is  his  description. 

Cascasquias 

"The  village  of  Notre  Dame  de  Cascasquias  is  by  far  the  most 
considerable  settlement  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois,  as  well 
from  its  number  of  inhabitants,  as  from  its  advantageous  situa- 
tion ;  it  stands  on  the  side  of  a  small  river,  which  is  about  eighty 
yards  across ;  its  source  lies  northeast,  about  sixty  leagues  from 
the  village,  and  fifteen  leagues  east  of  the  remarkable  rock  of 
Peorya,  and  it  empties  itself  with  a  gentle  current  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi, near  two  leagues  below  the  village.  This  river  is  a 
secure  port  for  large  batteaux,  which  can  lie  so  close  to  its  bank 
as  to  load  and  unload  without  the  least  trouble;  and  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year  there  is  water  enough  for  them  to  come  up.  It 
must  be  observed  here,  that  it  is  extremely  dangerous  for 
batteaux  or  boats  to  remain  in  the  Mississippi,  on  account  of  the 
bank  falling  in,  and  the  vast  number  of  logs  and  trees  which 
are  sent  down,  with  a  violent  force,  by  the  rapidity  of  the  cur- 
rent, as  also  on  account  of  the  heavy  gales  of  wind  to  which 
this  climate  is  subject.  Another  great  advantage  that  Cascas- 
quias receives  from  its  rived  is  the  facility  with  which  mills  for 
corn  and  planks  may  be  erected  on  it:  Mons.  Paget  was  the 
first  who  introduced  water-mills  in  this  country,  and  he  con- 
structed a  very  fine  one  on  the  River  Cascasquias,  which  was 
both  for  grinding  corn  and  sawing  boards ;  it  lies  about  one  mile 
from  the  village.  The  mill  proved  fatal  to  him,  being  killed 
as  he  was  working  in  it,  with  two  negroes,  by  a  party  of  the 
Cherokees,  in  the  year  1764.  The  principal  buildings  are,  the 
church  and  Jesuits  house,  which  has  a  small  chapel  adjoining  to 
it;  these,  as  well  as  some  other  houses  in  the  village,  are  built 
of  stone,  and,  considering  this  part  of  the  world,  make  a  very 
good  appearance.  The  Jesuits  plantation  consisted  of  240  arpens 
of  cultivated  land,  a  very  good  stock  of  cattle,  and  a  brewery; 
which  was  sold  by  the  French  commandant,  after  the  country 
was  ceded  to  the  English,  for  the  crown,  in  consequence  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  161 

suppression  of  the  order.  Mons.  Beauvais  was  the  purchaser, 
who  is  the  richest  of  the  English  subjects  in  this  country;  he 
keeps  eighty  slaves,  he  furnished  86,000  weight  of  flour  to  the 
King's  magazine,  which  was  only  a  part  of  the  harvest  he  reaped 
in  one  year.  Sixty-five  families  reside  in  this  village,  besides 
merchants,  other  casual  people,  and  slaves.  The  fort,  which 
was  burnt  down  in  October,  1766,  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  high 
rock  opposite  the  village,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  river;  it 
was  an  oblongular  quadrangle,  of  which  the  exterior  polygon 
measured  290  by  251  feet;  it  was  built  of  very  thick  squared 
timber,  and  dove-tailed  at  the  angles.  An  officer  and  twenty 
soldiers  are  quartered  in  the  village.  The  officer  governs  the 
inhabitants,  under  the  direction  of  the  commandant  at  Fort 
Chartres.    Here  are  also  two  companies  of  militia." 

La  Prairie  du  Rocher 

La  Prairie  Du  Rocher  is  about  seventeen  miles  from  Cascas- 
quias ;  it  is  a  small  village,  consisting  of  twelve  dwelling-houses, 
all  of  which  are  inhabited  by  as  many  families;  here  is  a  litte 
chapel,  formerly  a  chapel  of  ease  to  the  church  at  Fort  de  Char- 
tres. The  inhabitants  here  are  very  industrious,  and  raise  a 
great  deal  of  corn  and  every  kind  of  stock.  This  village  is  two 
miles  from  Fort  Chartres;  it  takes  its  name  from  its  situation, 
being  built  under  a  rock  that  runs  parallel  with  the  River  Mis- 
sissippi at  a  league  distance,  for  forty  leagues  up.  Here  is  a 
company  of  militia,  the  captain  of  which  regulates  the  police  of 
the  village." 

Fort  Chartres 

Fort  Chartres  when  it  belonged  to  France  was  the  seat  of 
government  of  the  Illinois ;  the  headquarters  of  the  English 
commanding  officer  is  now  here,  who  is,  in  fact,  the  arbitrary 
governor  of  this  country.  The  fort  is  an  irregular  quadrangle, 
the  sides  of  the  exterior  polygon  are  490  feet ;  it  is  built  of  stone 
and  plastered  over,  and  is  only  designed  as  a  defence  against 
the  Indians,  the  walls  being  two  feet  two  inches  thick,  and 
pierced  with  loop-holes  at  regular  distances,  and  with  two  port- 
holes for  cannon  in  the  faces,  and  two  in  the  flanks  of  each 
bastion;  the  ditch  has  never  been  finished;  the  entrance  to  the 
fort  is  through  a  very  handsome  rustic  gate;  within  the  wall  is 
a  small  banquette,  raised  three  feet,  for  the  men  to  stand  on 
when  they  fire  through  the  loopholes.  The  buildings  within  the 
fort  are,  the  commandant's  and  commissary's  houses,  the  maga- 
zine of  stores,  corps  de  garde,  and  two  barracks;  these  occupy 
the  square.  Within  the  gorges  of  the  bastions  are,  a  powder 
magazine,  a  bakehouse,  a  prison,  in  the  lower  floor  of  which  are 
four  dungeons,  and  in  the  upper  two  rooms,  and  an  out-house 
belonging  to  the  commandant.      The    commandant's    house    is 

8V1 


162  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

thirty-two  yards  long,  and  ten  broad;  it  contains  a  kitchen,  a 
dining-room,  a  bed  chamber,  one  small  room,  five  closets  for 
servants,  and  a  cellar.  The  commissary's  house  (now  occupied 
by  officers)  is  built  in  the  same  line  as  this,  its  proportions  and 
distribution  of  apartments  are  the  same.  Opposite  these  are 
the  store-house  and  guard-house,  they  are  each  thirty  yards  long 
and  eight  broad;  the  former  consists  of  two  large  store-rooms 
(under  which  is  a  large  vaulted  cellar)  and  a  large  room,  a  bed- 
chamber, and  a  closet  for  the  store-keeper;  the  latter  of  a 
soldier's  and  officer's  guard-rooms,  a  chapel,  a  bed-chamber  and 
closet  for  the  chaplain,  and  an  artillery  store-room.  The  lines 
of  barracks  have  never  been  finished;  they  at  present  consist 
of  two  rooms  each,  for  officers,  and  three  rooms  for  soldiers; 
they  are  good  spacious  rooms  of  twenty-two  feet  square,  and 
have  betwixt  them  a  small  passage.  There  are  fine  spacious 
lofts  over  each  building  which  reach  from  end  to  end ;  these  are 
made  use  of  to  lodge  regimental  stores,  working  and  intrenching 
tools,  etc.  It  is  generally  allowed  that  this  is  the  most  com- 
modious and  best  built  fort  in  North  America.  The  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  next  the  fort,  is  continually  falling  in,  being 
worn  away  by  the  current,  which  has  been  turned  from  its  course 
by  a  sand-bank,  now  increased  to  a  considerable  island  covered 
with  willows;  many  experiments  have  been  tried  to  stop  this 
growing  evil,  but  to  no  purpose.  When  the  fort  was  begun  in 
the  year  1756,  it  was  a  good  half  mile  from  the  water-side;  in 
the  year  1766  it  was  but  eighty  paces ;  eight  years  ago  the  river 
was  fordable  to  the  island,  the  channel  is  now  forty  feet  deep. 
In  the  year  1764  there  were  about  forty  families  in  the  village 
near  the  fort,  and  a  parish  church,  served  by  a  Franciscan  friar, 
dedicated  to  St.  Anne.  In  the  following  year,  when  the  English 
took  possession  of  the  country,  they  abandoned  their  houses, 
except  three  or  four  poor  families,  and  settled  at  the  villages 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  choosing  to  continue  under 
the  French  government." 

Saint  Philippe 

"Saint  Philippe  is  a  small  village  about  five  miles  from  Fort 
Chartres,  in  the  road  to  Kaoquias ;  there  are  about  sixteen  houses 
and  a  small  church  standing;  all  the  inhabitants,  except  the 
captain  of  militia,  deserted  it  in  1765,  and  went  to  the  French 
side ;  the  captain  of  militia  has  about  twenty  slaves,  a  good  stock 
of  cattle,  and  a  water-mill  for  corn  and  planks.  This  village 
stands  in  a  very  fine  meadow,  about  one  mile  from  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

Kaoquias 

"The  village  of  Sainte  Famille  De  Kaoquias  is  generally  reck- 
oned fifteen  leagues  from  Fort  Chartres,  and  six  leagues  below 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  163 

the  mouth  of  the  River  Missouri ;  it  stands  near  the  side  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  is  masked  from  the  river  by  an  island  of  two 
leagues  long ;  the  village  is  opposite  the  center  of  this  island ;  it 
is  long  and  straggling,  being  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  one 
end  to  the  other;  it  contains  forty-five  dwelling-houses,  and  a 
church  near  its  center.  The  situation  is  not  well  chosen,  as  in  the 
floods  it  is  generally  overflowed  two  or  three  feet.  This  was  the 
first  settlement  on  the  River  Mississippi.  The  land  was  pur- 
chased of  the  savages  by  a  few  Canadians,  some  of  whom  mar- 
ried women  of  the  Kaoquias  nation,  and  others  brought  wives 
from  Canada,  and  then  resided  there,  leaving  their  children  to 
succeed  them.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place  depend  more  on 
hunting,  and  their  Indian  trade,  than  on  agriculture,  as  they 
scarcely  raise  corn  enough  for  their  own  consumption ;  they 
have  a  great  deal  of  poultry  and  good  stocks  of  horned  cattle. 
The  mission  of  St.  Sulpice  has  a  very  fine  plantation  here,  and  an 
excellent  house  built  on  it ;  they  sold  this  estate,  and  a  very  good 
mill  for  corn  and  planks,  to  a  Frenchman  who  chose  to  remain 
under  the  English  government.  They  also  disposed  of  thirty 
negroes  and  a  good  stock  of  cattle  to  different  people  in  the 
country,  and  returned  to  France  in  the  year  1764.  What  is 
called  the  fort  is  a  small  house  standing  in  the  center  of  the 
village;  it  differs  in  nothing  from  the  other  houses  except  in 
being  one  of  the  poorest;  it  was  formerly  enclosed  with  high 
palisades,  but  these  were  torn  down  and  burnt.  Indeed  a  fort 
at  this  place  could  be  of  but  little  use. 

In  addition  to  these  brief  descriptions  of  the  four  villages, 
Lieutenant  Pittman  gives  some  facts  about  the  country,  the 
government,  and  the  people.  A  few  of  Pittman's  observations 
will  be  given,  as  it  is  interesting  always  to  know  one's  judgment 
at  first  hand.  He  says  the  Illinois  country  is  bounded  on  the 
west  by  the  Mississippi,  on  the  north  by  the  Illinois  River,  on 
the  east  by  the  Quabache,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio.  The 
months  of  March  and  September  are  periods  of  heavy  rains  and 
hard  gales.  The  summer  months  are  excessively  hot,  while 
January  and  February  are  very  cold.  There  are  four  Indian 
tribes — the  Kaskaskias,  Cahokias,  Michagammies,  and  the  Peor- 
ias.  They  are  poor,  debauched,  and  dastardly  people.  They 
have  about  350  warriors.  They  are  remnants  of  other  tribes 
scattered  about.  The  products  of  a  very  rich  soil  are  all  forms 
of  food  grains,  hops,  hemp,  flax,  cotton  and  tobacco.  Wine  is 
made  from  wild  grapes  and  is  very  intoxicating.  There  are 
buffalo,  deer,  and  wild  fowl,  such  as  geese,  swans,  turkeys,  and 
pheasants.  There  is  also  an  abundance  of  fish.  In  the  French 
and  Indian  war  the  Illinois  country  furnished  vast  quantities  of 
flour,  beer,  wine,  hams  and  other  provisions. 

His  description  of  the  government  applies  to  the  years  prior 
to  the  coming  of  the  British.    The  country  was  governed  by  a 


164  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

major-commandant  who  was  appointed  by  the  governor  of 
Louisiana  at  New  Orleans ;  and  he  was  usually  some  relative  or 
friend  of  the  governor.  The  Indian  trade  was  under  the  control 
of  the  commandant.  All  Indians  entertained  at  a  French  post 
were  provided  for  at  the  expense  of  the  King  of  France.  There 
was  much  grafting  by  the  commandant  in  his  dealings  with  the 
Indians.  All  able-bodied  men  were  enrolled  in  the  militia  and 
the  officers  were  appointed  by  the  commandant.  A  certain 
amount  of  free  labor  was  required  from  each  able-bodied  man 
on  roads,  bridges,  forts,  or  other  public  works. 

There  were  four  classes  of  people  in  the  Illinois  country.  First 
there  were  the  Indians ;  second,  the  French,  who  had  either  come 
from  Canada  or  direct  from  France  by  way  of  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi ;  third,  the  Negroes,  who  were  the  descendants  of  the 
slaves  brought  by  Renault  in  1519,  together  with  others  that 
had  been  brought  up  the  Mississippi  in  more  recent  years ;  and 
lastly  a  considerable  group  of  mixed  breeds.  (This  mixed  race 
may  be  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  at  the  present 
time.)  The  men  are  superstitious  and  ignorant,  physically  well 
made,  can  bear  much  fatigue,  and  are  skilled  in  woodcraft.  The 
chief  trades  are  carpenters,  smiths,  masons,  tailors,  and  mill- 
wrights. 

Fort  Chartres  Abandoned 

The  site  of  Fort  Chartres  was  on  the  alluvial  lands  within  a 
mile  of  the  Mississippi.  And  this  river,  which,  Mr.  Mason  says, 
had  always  been  a  French  river,  wished  to  take  out  vengeance 
upon  the  English,  and  so  in  the  spring  of  1772  the  rains  came 
and  the  floods  descended,  the  Mississippi  rose  and  plowed 
through  the  rich,  black,  alluvial  soil  between  the  fort  and  the 
river,  and  attacked  the  fort,  tore  away  a  bastion,  and  under- 
mined the  south  wall  of  the  fort.  The  British  soldiers  hastened 
across  the  low  valley  to  the  hills  near  Prairie  du  Rocher  and 
afterwards  moved  to  Fort  Gage,  to  the  east  of  the  Kaskaskia 
River,  near  the  Village  of  Kaskaskia.  Governor  Reynolds  visited 
the  old  fort  in  1802  and  says:  "It  is  an  object  of  antiquarian 
curiosity.  The  trees,  undergrowth,  and  brush  are  mixed  and 
interwoven  with  the  old  walls — large  trees  were  growing  in  the 
houses  which  once  contained  the  elegant  and  accomplished 
French  officers  and  soldiers." 

Major  Stoddard,  of  the  United  States  Engineers,  visited  Fort 
Chartres  and  thus  described  it:  "Its  figure  is  quadrilateral  with 
four  bastions,  the  whole  of  limestone  well  cemented.  The  walls 
are  still  entire.  The  enclosure  is  covered  with  trees  from  7  to  12 
inches  in  diameter.  In  fact  it  is  a  splendid  ruin."  Judge  Brack- 
enridge  said  of  it  in  1817:  "Fort  Chartres  is  a  noble  ruin.  The 
walls,  barracks,  and  magazine  are  still  standing.  There  is  a 
number  of  cannon  lying  half  buried  in  the  earth  with  their 
trunnions  broken  off."    Another  visitor  to  the  old  fort  in  1820 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


165 


says :  "The  walls  in  some  places  perfect,  the  buildings  in  ruins, 
except  the  magazine,  and  in  the  hall  of  one  of  the  houses  an  oak 
growing,  eighteen  inches  in  diameter."  Judge  James  Hall,  who 
visited  the  place  in  1829,  says :  "Although  the  spot  was  familiar 
to  my  companions,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  we  found  the 
ruins,  which  are  covered  over  with  a  vigorous  growth  of  forest 
trees  and  a  dense  undergrowth  of  bushes  and  vines.  The  build- 
ings were  all  razed  to  the  ground,  but  the  lines  of  the  foundation 
could  be  easily  traced.    And  it  was  curious  to  see  in  the  gloom 


of  the  wild  forest  these  remnants  of  the  architecture  of  a  past 
age."  Fort  Chartres  was  visited  in  1849  by  Governor  Reynolds, 
who  found  it  a  "pile  of  moldering  ruins  and  the  walls  torn  away 
almost  even  with  the  surface." 


The  Quebec  Act 

As  the  determined  attitude  of  the  American  Colonists  towards 
the  British  policy  of  Colonial  control  became  better  known  in 
England,  the  government  became  more  determined  to  crush  the 
opposition  by  repressive  acts.  So  in  1774  four  acts  were  passed 
by  the  English  Parliament  having  for  their  purpose  the  crushing 
out  of  opposition  in  the  colonies,  particularly  in  Massachusetts. 


166  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

These  acts  provided :  (1)  For  the  closing  of  the  port  of  Boston 
to  all  commerce.  (2)  For  the  suspension  of  the  operations  of 
the  Massachusetts  charter,  and  the  substitution  of  military  con- 
trol. (3)  For  the  trial  of  British  agents,  who  might  be  accused 
of  criminal  acts  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty,  outside  (pre- 
sumably in  England)  of  the  colony  in  which  the  offense  was 
committed.  (4)  For  the  quartering  of  British  troops  in  the 
town  and  villages  in  the  colonies. 

Before  we  discuss  the  Quebec  Act,  let  us  recall  the  Proclama- 
tion of  1763.  In  this  proclamation  the  King  of  England  pro- 
vided for  the  government  of  the  territory  which  had  been 
wrested  from  France  and  Spain  by  the  treaty  which  closed  the 
French  and  Indian  war.  The  old  thirteen  English  colonies  were 
not  disturbed  by  the  proclamation  which  was  put  out  in  1763. 
All  the  French  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence  were  included 
in  a  province  to  be  known  as  Quebec,  with  certain  definite  boun- 
dary lines.  Two  new  provinces  were  created  out  of  the  Spanish 
territory  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  be  known  as  East  and  West 
Florida.  All  the  lands  north  of  West  Florida,  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  reaching  as  far  north 
as  the  Great  Lakes  was  to  be  known  as  the  Indian  country.  This 
Indian  country  included  all  the  French  settlements  along  the 
Mississippi  on  the  east  side,  those  on  the  Wabash,  the  Illinois, 
Detroit,  Mackinaw,  Green  Bay,  and  other  settlements  of  minor 
importance. 

There  was  in  the  Proclamation  of  1763  also  a  clause  which 
was  intended  as  a  direct  check  upon  a  movement  which  was 
just  beginning  in  the  old  thirteen  colonies.  It  forbade  the 
settling  of  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  But  in  spite  of 
this  there  was  a  constant  stream  of  people  going  into  the  region 
which  was  afterwards  made  into  West  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and 
Tennessee. 

The  treaty  of  1763  was  followed  by  the  King's  proclamation 
which  we  have  just  seen  made  disposition  of  the  newly  acquired 
territory.  For  ten  years  there  had  been  an  unsatisfactory  con- 
dition existing  in  Canada  and  in  the  Indian  country.  Indian 
affairs  and  the  fur  trade  were  badly  managed.  The  Canadians 
did  not  like  the  English  political  system,  particularly  the  judicial 
system.  Nor  was  the  religious  situation  entirely  satisfactory. 
There  was  no  participation  by  the  Canadians  in  their  govern- 
ment. They  had  no  elective  or  legislative  privileges.  The 
British  Government  had  been  considering  a  readjustment  of  con- 
flicting interests  in  New  France  and  the  Indian  country  for 
several  years,  and  it  so  happened  that  Parliament  enacted  the 
law  which  we  call  the  Quebec  Act  shortly  after  the  passage  of 
the  four  intolerable  acts  enumerated  above. 

The  Quebec  Act  provided  that  the  boundaries  of  the  province 
should  be  enlarged  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  Indian  country 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  167 

which  lay  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  Another  provision  was  that 
the  governor  of  Quebec  should  have  as  a  council  not  less  than 
seventeen  nor  more  than  twenty-three  persons.  The  governor 
and  this  council  constituted  the  legislative  branch  of  govern- 
ment, and  all  ordinances  passed  by  this  body  should  be  laid 
before  His  Majesty  for  his  royal  sanction  or  disapproval.  This 
body  could  do  nothing  toward  laying  taxes,  nor  could  they  legis- 
late about  religious  matters.  A  third  provision  guaranteed  the 
enjoyment  of  the  "Religion  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  subject  to 
the  King's  Supremacy."  The  inhabitants  who  professed  the 
Catholic  religion  were  not  obliged  to  take  the  Oath  of  Supremacy, 
but  must  swear  allegiance  to  the  King.  Again  the  English  crim- 
inal law  was  made  the  supreme  law  of  the  land  in  all  criminal 
cases. 

The  passage  of  this  law  at  the  time  or  shortly  after  the  pass- 
age of  the  intolerable  acts  could  not  be  disassociated  from  them 
by  the  colonists.  They  charged  the  British  Government  with 
establishing  by  law  the  Catholic  religion  as  the  state  religion  in 
the  new  Province  of  Quebec.  They  argued  that  if  England  could 
establish  the  Catholic  religion  in  one  colony  or  province,  by  the 
same  token  she  could  make  that  faith  the  established  religion 
in  any  other  colony.  There  was  still  another  serious  opposition 
among  the  English  colonists  to  the  Quebec  Act.  The  movement 
of  population  over  the  mountains,  and  the  peopling  of  the  Ohio 
valley,  was  now  gaining  headway  every  year  and  the  incorpora- 
tion of  that  part  of  the  Indian  country  north  and  west  of  the 
Ohio  into  the  Province  of  Canada  could  be  viewed  in  no  other 
light  by  many  than  an  effort  to  obstruct  the  emigration  of  the 
people  of  the  old  thirteen  colonies.  We  may  recall  that  large 
quantities  of  land  had  been  granted  to  individuals  and  to  com- 
panies within  the  Indian  country  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  The 
people  who  were  thus  interested  looked  upon  the  passage  of  the 
Quebec  Act  as  endangering  their  rights  in  these  grants. 

When  Thomas  Jefferson  wrote  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence he  enumerated  the  charges  which  the  English  colonists  held 
against  the  King  of  Great  Britain.    In  this  document  we  read : 

"For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  laws  in  a  neigh- 
boring province  (Quebec  and  Illinois),  establishing  therein  an 
arbitrary  government,  and  enlarging  its  boundaries,  so  as  td 
render  it  at  once  an  example  and  fit  instrument  for  introducing 
the  same  absolute  rule  into  these  colonies." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  outcome  of  the  French  and 
Indian  war  brought  the  British  Government  face  to  face  with 
problems  which  she  was  not  ready  to  solve.  What  can  be  learned 
proves  that  the  government  had  no  constructive  policy  as  to  the 
handling  of  the  territory  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  It 
was  fairly  easy  to  convert  the  Floridas  into  English  provinces, 
and  so  with  regard  to  Quebec.    But  while  every  one  of  the  old 


168  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

thirteen  colonies  had  more  or  less  of  self-government — each  had 
a  legislature  and  local  self-government — there  was  no  self- 
government  provided  for  any  one  of  the  three  new  provinces. 
The  excuse  was  that  the  population  was  too  sparse  to  justify  any 
effort  at  self-government.  The  proclamation  of  the  7th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1763,  relative  to  the  Illinois  country,  was  a  delay  of  any 
definite  policy.  It  was  a  negative  proclamation.  "We  do  declare 
it  to  be  our  Royal  Will  and  pleasure  for  the  present  to  reserve 
our  sovereignty,  protection,  and  dominion,  for  the  use  of  the  said 
Indians,  all  lands  and  territories"  lying  west  of  the  Alleghanies, 
north  of  the  Floridas,  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  south  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  "For  the  present"  shows  a  vacillating  policy  in 
dealing  with  a  great  question. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois  petitioned  to  be  annexed  to  the 
Province  of  Canada.  There  was  no  government  established  for 
the  French  villages  on  the  Mississippi,  the  land  speculators  were 
already  crowding  into  this  territory,  and  it  was  thought  that  the 
placing  of  all  this  region  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  under  the 
government  of  the  French  interests  of  Canada  would  drive  the 
land  speculators  out  and  would  also  pacify  the  French  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Illinois  villages. 


CHAPTER  XII 

CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS 

Kentucky  Settlers — George  Rogers  Clark — Instructions — 
Down  the  Ohio — Dr.  Lyman  Copeland  Draper — March 
Across  Southern  Illinois — The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia 
— Capture  of  Cahokia — Vincennes  Surrendered — Illi- 
nois County,  Virginia 

The  conflict  of  arms  between  the  American  colonies  and  the 
mother  country  began  in  the  spring  of  1775,  at  the  battles  of 
Lexington  and  Concord.  Following  these  two  engagements,  on 
the  19th  of  April,  1775,  the  fife  and  drum  assembled  the  Minute 
Men  in  the  towns  of  New  England,  nor  were  the  towns  and 
plantations  of  the  middle  and  southern  colonies  less  patriotic. 
Indeed,  all  the  settlers  to  the  east  of  the  Alleghanies  were  soon 
under  arms  for  the  preservation  of  their  rights  as  Englishmen. 
While  war  soon  became  the  common  lot  of  the  lands  to  the  east 
of  the  mountains,  in  like  manner  the  American  settlers  along 
the  slopes  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Ohio  were  soon  involved 
in  a  movement  not  for  their  rights  as  Englishmen,  but  for  the 
safety  of  their  homes  and  loved  ones.  By  1775  a  kidney-shaped 
area  in  Kentucky  starting  on  the  Ohio  River,  in  the  present 
County  of  Mason,  thence  running  south  and  west  through  the 
counties  of  Fayette,  Bourbon,  the  eastern  part  of  Jefferson, 
Mercer,  and  Nelson  contained  scores  of  settlers.  There  were 
also  well-established  settlements  on  the  Great  Kanawha,  in  what 
is  now  West  Virginia.  There  had  been  serious  friction  between 
the  Indians  along  the  Ohio  River  and  the  "land  jobbers,"  as  the 
people  were  called  who  came  into  the  Ohio  valley  with  land  grant 
warrants  which  had  been  issued  by  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  (John 
Murray) ,  the  last  British  governor  of  Virginia.  Several  of  these 
settlers  were  killed  and  a  war  ensued,  led  by  one  Greathouse  on 
the  part  of  the  whites.  In  these  conflicts  several  Indians  were 
killed.  Among  the  Indians  killed  were  the  members  of  the 
Indian  chief  Logan's  family.  Governor  Dunmore  came  into  the 
Ohio  valley  and,  after  a  conflict  lasting  from  the  spring  to  the 
fall  of  the  year  1774,  made  peace  with  the  Indians  and  returned 
to  Virginia. 

Settlers  in  Kentucky 

Following  the  Dunmore  war,  the  settlers  came  over  the  moun- 
tains in  increasing  numbers.  During  the  war  and  following, 
there  were  continued  attacks  upon  the  whites  by  Indians  from 

169 


170  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois.  It  was  understood  at  that  time  that 
the  British  officers  about  the  several  posts  in  the  country  around 
the  lakes  and  along  the  Mississippi  and  Wabash  rivers  were 
provoking  the  Indians  to  make  incursions  into  Kentucky  and 
murder  and  scalp  the  white  settlers.  And  it  was  also  understood 
that  the  Indians  were  paid  so  much  for  each  white  person's 
scalp  which  they  should  bring  back  with  them.  At  one  time  the 
attacks  were  so  general  and  so  savage  that  the  leading  people 
of  the  several  settlements  thought  seriously  that  they  would  be 
compelled  to  abandon  their  new  homes  and  go  over  the  moun- 
tains to  their  old  homes. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  trying  time  that  George  Rogers 
Clark  came  into  Kentucky.  He  was  a  Virginian,  born  about 
1753.  He  had  held  an  office  in  the  Dunmore  war  and  for  meri- 
torious conduct  he  had  been  offered  a  commission  in  the  royal 
service.  This  he  refused  and  seems  to  have  passed  the  winter 
of  1774-5  in  Virginia.  In  the  spring  of  1775  he  quietly  made  his 
appearance  at  Harrodstown,  in  Kentucky,  where  the  people  were 
discussing  the  question  whether  the  settlers  then  in  Kentucky 
should  consider  themselves  as  citizens  of  the  State  of  Virginia 
or  whether  they  ought  to  form  an  independent  state.  Col. 
Richard  Henderson,  a  rather  noted  Virginian,  had,  in  company 
with  others,  secured  from  the  Indians  a  large  grant  of  land  in 
the  central  part  of  Kentucky,  and  was  disposing  of  it  to  settlers, 
and  the  prices  he  asked  for  the  lands  had  created  opposition  on 
the  part  of  the  settlers.  Clark  was  rather  sympathetic  with  the 
land  company,  but  at  the  same  time  he  tried  to  persuade  the 
people  that  the  thing  to  do  was  to  unite  all  the  interest  within 
reach  against  the  Indians,  who  were  playing  sad  havoc  among 
the  settlers  everywhere. 

George  Rogers  Clark 

Clark  remained  in  Kentucky  through  the  summer  of  1775, 
studying  the  situation,  and  late  in  the  fall  he  returned  to  Vir- 
ginia. In  Virginia  he  found  quite  a  bit  of  confusion  of  ideas 
about  Henderson  and  his  company's  claim  to  lands  in  Kentucky, 
and  again  there  was  a  division  of  judgment  as  to  whether  Vir- 
ginia had  any  claim  upon  the  Kentucky  territory  and  settlements. 
Clark  returned  to  Kentucky  in  the  early  spring  of  1776  with  a 
very  definite  plan  in  his  mind.  It  was  to  call  a  public  meeting 
at  Harrodstown  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  deputies  who  might 
proceed  to  Virginia  and  treat  with  that  commonwealth  and 
secure  certain  conditions  that  would  be  favorable  to  Kentucky 
in  case  Virginia  claimed  Kentucky  as  a  part  of  her  territory. 
He  had  as  an  alternative  that  if  Virginia  was  not  willing  to 
treat  with  the  deputies  to  their  advantage,  then  his  plan  was  to 
set  up  in  Kentucky  an  independent  state,  and  by  setting  up  the 
theory  that  the  new  commonwealth  owned  all  the  public  lands, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


171 


they  could  dispose  of  these  lands  with  two  ends  in  view.  First, 
generously  to  offer  this  land  to  people  in  the  old  colonies  if  they 
would  come  into  Kentucky  and  make  permanent  settlements. 
The  second  end  was  to  use  this  land  or  the  income  from  it  for 
the  construction  of  forts,  the  purchase  of  munitions  of  war,  and 
the  maintenance  of  a  well-organized  militia. 

The  meeting  was  called  for  June  6,  1776.     Clark  was  several 
hours  late  to  the  meeting,  and  did  not  therefore  have  an  oppor- 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 


tunity  to  help  shape  public  policy.  Those  present  concluded  it 
was  the  plan  to  regard  themselves  as  Virginians  and  to  elect 
representatives  to  the  Virginia  Assembly,  with  instructions  to 
secure  from  the  Assembly  an  act  creating  Kentucky  a  county  in 
Virginia.  George  Rogers  Clark  and  Gabriel  Jones  were  elected 
as  delegates  to  the  Virginia  Assembly.  The  two  delegates  pro- 
ceeded at  once,  with  their  instructions,  to  Williamsburg,  the 
capital  of  Virginia,  but  before  reaching  that  place  they  learned 
that  the  House  of  Burgesses  had  adjourned  and  they  were  at  a 
loss  as  to  their  future  actions.  Gabriel  Jones  proceeded  to  join 
the  forces  then  organizing  to  repel  the  Indians  in  the  Holston 
valley,  while  Clark  proceeded  to  Williamsburg  to  secure  powder 


172  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

for  the  defense  of  the  Kentuckians.  When  Clark  reached  the 
Virginia  capital,  he  found  that  the  governor,  Patrick  Henry,  was 
sick  at  his  home  in  Hanover.  Clark  proceeded  to  that  place  and 
placed  before  the  governor  the  conditions  in  Kentucky.  Gov- 
ernor Henry  referred  all  these  matters  to  his  council,  who  were 
impressed  with  the  recital  of  conditions  and  the  needs  of  the 
Kentuckians.  It  was  finally  agreed  after  a  long  discussion  to 
lend  the  Kentucky  people  500  pounds  of  powder,  to  be  trans- 
ported from  the  capital  of  Virginia  to  Fort  Pitt  and  thence  down 
the  Ohio  River  to  convenient  points  in  Kentucky. 

Clark  and  Jones  attended  the  session  of  the  Legislature  in 
the  capital  in  the  fall  and  were  well  received  by  that  body. 
After  long  delays  a  bill  was  passed  creating  the  County  of  Ken- 
tucky with  the  limits  of  the  present  state,  and  making  provision 
for  the  government  of  the  same.  Clark  returned  to  Kentucky  in 
the  spring  of  1777,  and  believing  that  the  Indian  attacks  upon 
the  Kentucky  settlers  were  instigated  and  encouraged  by  the 
British  commanders  or  agents  of  the  British  Government,  at 
Kaskaskia,  Vincennes,  Detroit  and  other  posts  in  the  Northwest, 
sent  two  trusty  spies,  Benjamin  Linn  and  Samuel  Moore,  to 
Kaskaskia  to  determine  whether  the  British  favored  directly  or 
indirectly  the  attacks,  whether  the  French  inhabitants  were 
sympathetic  with  the  British  or  the  Americans  in  the  revolution 
just  then  in  its  earlier  stages,  and  thirdly,  to  find  out  whether 
the  militia  organizations  were  of  considerable  size  and  whether 
they  were  efficient. 

These  two  faithful  frontiersmen  returned  in  the  fall  of  1776. 
They  reported  to  Clark  that  there  was  evidence  that  the  British 
commandants  at  the  several  posts  in  the  Northwest  were  largely 
if  not  altogether  responsible  for  the  continued  attacks  upon  the 
people  of  Kentucky.  Second,  that  there  were  indications  that 
the  native  French  inhabitants,  where  they  were  free  to  think  as 
they  pleased,  were  quite  sympathetic  with  the  American  cause. 
And  third,  that  well-organized  and  well-trained  militiamen  were 
to  be  found  in  all  the  French  villages  on  the  Wabash  and  the 
Mississippi.  Clark's  mind  was  now  made  up  as  to  his  duty.  He 
was  not  a  man  who  conferred  with  others  very  much  on  prob- 
lems which  he  felt  the  average  person  ought  to  solve.  No  one 
knew  that  Linn  and  Moore  had  gone  to  Kaskaskia. 

In  the  fall  of  1777,  Clark  left  Kentucky  for  Virginia.  The 
people  declaimed  against  his  going,  and  Clark  says  himself  that 
he  left  them  reluctantly.  But  he  told  them  he  would  return.  It 
was  now  Clark's  plan  to  secure  an  authorization  to  organize  an 
army  of  several  hundred  men  for  the  invasion  and  conquest  of 
the  British  posts  in  the  Northwest.  This  plan  he  communicated 
to  Governor  Patrick  Henry.  Governor  Henry  had  some  mis- 
givings as  to  the  wisdom  of  this  undertaking,  but  after  many 
secret  conferences  with  his  council,  it  was  decided  to  order  the 
raising  and  equipping  of  an  army  of  seven  companies  of  fifty 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  173 

men  each,  well  officered  and  provided.  The  while  proceedings 
were  carried  on  secretly — that  is,  the  Assembly  was  not  asked  to 
enact  any  laws  providing  for  such  a  campaign.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  was  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the  executive  of  the  colony 
(State  of  Virginia)  and  his  executive  council.  It  was  agreed 
that  Clark  should  be  provided  with  6,000  pounds  English  money, 
that  the  Legislature  would  be  asked  to  grant  each  individual 
private  who  volunteered  and  went  on  this  campaign  300  acres  of 
land  as  a  bonus,  the  officers  to  have  a  larger  allotment. 

Instructions 

The  governor  gave  to  Clark  two  letters  which  were  to  serve  as 
his  authority  for  raising  troops  and  invading  the  Northwest. 
One  set  consisted  of  a  few  statements  showing  the  purpose  of 
the  campaign  to  be  merely  the  defense  of  the  Kentucky  people ; 
the  other  was  to  be  kept  secret  unless  such  exigencies  should 
arise  that  it  might  be  necessary  to  produce  evidence  of  authority 
from  one  higher  in  command.  These  two  instructions  are  given, 
as  they  will  show  the  purpose  of  the  whole  movement. 

Public  Instructions  to  Clark 

On  January  2,  1778,  Colonel  Clark  received  two  sets  of  instruc- 
tions relative  to  his  proposed  expedition  to  the  Illinois  country. 
One  set  he  was  to  make  public  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
recruits  for  the  defense  of  Kentucky.  These  instructions  were 
as  follows : 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark:  You  are  to  pro- 
ceed, without  loss  of  time,  to  enlist  seven  companies  of  men, 
officered  in  the  usual  manner,  to  act  as  a  militia  under  your 
orders.  They  are  to  proceed  to  Kentucky,  and  there  to  obey  such 
orders  and  directions  as  you  shall  give  them,  for  three  months 
after  their  arrival  at  that  place ;  but  to  receive  pay,  etc.,  in  case 
they  remain  on  duty  a  longer  time. 

"You  are  empowered  to  raise  these  men  in  any  county  in  the 
commonwealth ;  and  the  county  lieutenants,  respectively,  are  re- 
quested to  give  you  all  possible  assistance  in  that  business. 

"Given  under  my  hand  at  Williamsburg,  January  2nd,  1778. 

"P.  Henry." 
Private  Instructions 

"Virginia  in  Council,  Williamsburg,  January  2d,  1778.  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark:  You  are  to  proceed  with 
all  convenient  speed  to  raise  seven  companies  of  soldiers,  to  con- 
sist of  fifty  men  each,  officered  in  the  usual  manner,  and  armed 
most  properly  for  the  enterprise ;  and  with  this  force  attack  the 
British  fort  at  Kaskaskia. 

"It  is  conjectured  there  are  many  pieces  of  cannon  and  stores 
to  considerable  amount,  at  that  place,  the  taking  and  preserva- 


174  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tion  of  which  would  be  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  state.  If  you 
are  so  fortunate,  therefore,  as  to  succeed  in  your  expedition,  you 
will  take  every  possible  measure  to  secure  the  artillery  and 
stores,  and  whatever  may  advantage  the  state. 

"For  the  transportation  of  the  troops,  provisions,  etc.,  down 
the  Ohio,  you  are  to  apply  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Pitt 
for  boats;  and  during  the  whole  transaction  you  are  to  take 
especial  care  to  keep  the  true  destination  of  your  force  secret — 
its  success  depends  upon  this.  Orders  are  therefore  given  to 
secure  the  two  men  from  Kaskaskia.  Similar  conduct  will  be 
proper  in  similar  cases. 

"It  is  earnestly  desired  that  you  show  humanity  to  such 
British  subjects  and  other  persons  as  fall  in  your  hands.  If  the 
white  inhabitants  at  that  post  and  the  neighborhood  will  give 
undoubted  evidence  of  their  attachment  to  this  state  (for  it  is 
certain  they  live  within  its  limits),  by  taking  the  test  prescribed 
by  law,  and  by  every  other  way  and  means  in  their  power,  let 
them  be  treated  as  fellow  citizens,  and  their  person  and  property 
duly  secured.  Assistance  and  protection  against  all  enemies 
whatever  shall  be  afforded  them,  and  the  commonwealth  of  Vir- 
ginia is  pledged  to  accomplish  it.  But  if  these  people  will  not 
accede  to  these  reasonable  demands,  they  must  feel  the  miseries 
of  war,  under  the  direction  of  that  humanity  that  has  hitherto 
distinguished  Americans,  and  which  it  is  expected  you  will  ever 
consider  the  rule  of  your  conduct,  and  from  which  you  are  in  no 
instance  to  depart. 

"The  corps  you  are  to  command  are  to  receive  the  pay  and 
allowance  of  militia  and  to  act  under  the  laws  and  regulations  of 
this  state  now  in  force,  as  militia.  The  inhabitants  of  this  post 
will  be  informed  by  you,  that  in  case  they  accede  to  the  offers 
of  becoming  citizens  of  this  commonwealth,  a  proper  garrison 
will  be  maintained  among  them  and  every  attention  bestowed  to 
render  their  commerce  beneficial,  the  fairest  prospects  being 
opened  to  the  dominions  of  France  and  Spain. 

"It  is  in  contemplation  to  establish  a  post  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio.  Cannon  will  be  wanted  to  fortify  it.  Part  of  those  at 
Kaskaskia  will  be  easily  brought  thither,  or  otherwise  secured, 
as  circumstances  will  make  necessary. 

"You  are  to  apply  to  General  Hand  for  powder  and  lead 
necessary  for  this  expedition.  If  he  can't  supply  it,  the  person 
who  has  that  brought  from  Orleans  can.  Lead  was  sent  to 
Hampshire,  by  my  orders,  and  that  may  be  delivered  to  you. 

"Wishing  you  success, 

"I  am,  sir, 

"Your  humble  servant, 

"P.  Henry." 

Clark  sent  out  several  officers  with  authority  to  enlist  soldiers 
for  the  service  of  Virginia.    Two  of  these  officers  were  to  bring 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  175 

their  recruits  to  Fort  Pitt,  while  others  were  to  meet  him  on  the 
Ohio  in  Kentucky.  Clark  himself  went  to  Fort  Pitt,  where  he 
assembled  men,  boats,  provisions,  ammunition,  and  arms.  How- 
ever, he  met  with  opposition  by  people  at  Fort  Pitt,  who,  not 
knowing  his  plans,  advanced  the  theory  that  it  would  be  cheaper 
to  move  all  the  Kentuckians  to  the  east  side  of  the  Alleghanies 
than  to  attempt  to  defend  them.  He  found  it  advisable  not  to 
attempt  to  do  more  than  to  secure  such  supplies  as  his  orders 
from  Governor  Henry  authorized  him  to  obtain.  He  took 
passage  with  quite  a  motley  crowd  aboard  his  boats  for  the 
lower  Ohio.  Word  was  sent  to  those  who  were  recruiting  that 
they  should  assemble  with  their  contingents  at  Corn  Island, 
opposite  the  present  city  of  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  forces 
gathered  slowly.  Major  Smith,  who  was  asked  to  recruit  four 
companies  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Tennessee,  sent  only  one 
company.  When  the  troops  were  all  assembled  it  was  agreed 
that  certain  communities  could  not  safely  be  left  unprotected  by 
the  able-bodied  men,  and  so  quite  a  few  were  allowed  to  return 
to  their  homes.  One  company  deserted,  and  when  the  final  day 
arrived  to  proceed  there  were  only  153  who  were  ready  for  the 
descent  of  the  Ohio.  To  these  Clark  had  revealed  the  ultimate 
purpose  of  the  expedition.  The  following  captains  were  in  com- 
mand: Bowman,  Helm,  Harrod,  and  Montgomery.  A  few 
families  had  accompanied  Clark  from  Fort  Pitt  down  to  Corn 
Island.  For  their  protection,  Clark  had  erected  a  fort  on  the 
island.  When  Clark  and  his  men  took  their  departure,  these 
people  on  Corn  Island  moved  across  to  the  Kentucky  side  of  the 
Ohio  and  founded  the  City  of  Louisville. 

Down  the  Ohio 

The  expedition  left  Corn  Island  on  the  24th  of  June,  1778, 
while  the  sun  was  in  a  total  eclipse.  They  had  been  out  but  a 
few  days  when  they  were  overtaken  by  an  agent  sent  by  Colonel 
Campbell,  in  command  at  Fort  Pitt.  This  courier  brought  good 
news  from  Colonel  Campbell.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  France 
and  the  United  States  had  entered  into  a  treaty  of  alliance,  and 
that  France  would  send  men,  money,  and  ships.  This  was  wel- 
come news,  for  it  was  believed  that  the  French  inhabitants  could 
now  be  won  over  to  the  American  cause  much  more  easily  than 
at  any  previous  time.  Clark  was  somewhat  undecided  which 
stronghold,  Vincennes  or  Kaskaskia,  to  attack  first.  He  says 
that  Vincennes  was  larger,  had  more  troops,  and  if  he  should  be 
defeated  he  would  have  a  hard  time  finding  a  place  of  refuge. 
He  thought,  too,  that  the  Illinois  settlements  were  more  scat- 
tered, they  could  be  conquered  separately  more  easily,  and  he 
would  be  close  to  the  Spanish  territory,  to  which  he  could  retreat 
at  any  time.  He  therefore  decided  to  attack  Kaskaskia  first.  He 
therefore  sailed  by  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  and  purposed  to 


176  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

land  at  Fort  Massac  and  march  overland  to  Kaskaskia.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  Tennessee  River,  Clark  halted  to  make  some 
preparation  for  the  final  landing,  and  while  there  a  hunter  by 
the  name  of  John  Duff,  with  others,  came  by  in  boats  and  were 
obliged  to  come  before  Clark  and  give  an  account  of  themselves. 
They  said  they  had  lately  been  to  Kaskaskia  and  knew  the  situa- 
tion there  very  well.  From  them  Clark  found  out  that  there 
were  no  British  soldiers  at  either  Kaskaskia  or  Vincennes.  That 
Governor  Abbot  of  Canada  was  lately  at  Vincennes,  but  that  he 
had  gone  back  to  Canada.  Also  that  a  Frenchman,  Chevalier 
de  Rocheblave,  was  in  command  at  Kaskaskia,  and  that  the  only 
defense  there  was  the  militia,  which  was  well  organized  and 
alert.  The  hunters  indicated  their  willingness  to  accompany 
Clark  and  act  as  guides.  This  was  agreed  to  and  they  proved  to 
be  very  dependable  and  useful  men. 

Clark  moved  on  down  the  river  some  eight  miles  to  Fort 
Massac.  Here  he  landed  and  made  final  preparation  for  his 
journey  to  Kaskaskia.  Some  fifty  yards  above  the  fort  a  con- 
siderable branch  or  creek  comes  into  the  Ohio  at  right  angles 
to  the  direction  of  the  river.  It  has  steep  banks  and  the  over- 
hanging trees  on  either  side  make  a  leafy  archway  over  the 
stream  in  summertime.  Clark  called  this  stream  a  "gully."  In 
this  "gully"  they  hid  their  boats  and  with  light  marching  equip- 
ment began  their  journey  of  some  120  miles  to  Kaskaskia. 

Before  starting  on  this  journey  across  Southern  Illinois,  let 
us  get  our  bearings  as  to  the  source  of  our  information.  Reuben 
Gold  Thwaites,  a  writer  of  several  volumes  on  western  histories, 
wrote  in  1903  a  single  volume  with  the  title,  "How  George  Rogers 
Clark  Won  the  Northwest,  and  other  Essays,  etc."  The  last 
chapter  of  this  book,  Chapter  VIII,  he  devotes  to  "The  Draper 
Manuscripts."  Dr.  Lyman  Copeland  Draper,  born  in  1815 — died 
in  1891,  was  the  greatest  collector  of  historical  material  that 
ever  worked  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three 
he  began  to  collect  material  for  biographies  of  western  pioneers. 
For  many  years  he  collected  his  material  wholly  by  correspond- 
ence, but  about  1840  he  began  to  visit  persons  and  places.  He 
is  supposed  to  have  traveled  more  than  60,000  miles  in  his  search 
for  material  for  projected  works  which  he  never  wrote.  He  was 
personally  in  touch  with  Bancroft,  Hildreth,  Drake,  Parkman, 
Sparks,  Lessing  and  other  great  historians.  In  1849  the  Wis- 
consin Historical  Society  was  organized  at  Madison.  In  1852 
Dr.  Draper  was  made  secretary  of  this  organization  and  from 
that  simple  beginning  the  society  has  come  to  be  the  most  noted 
one  in  the  middle  west.  He  still  continued  to  gather  material 
looking  forward  to  the  writing  of  biographies  and  histories. 
At  his  death  it  was  found  that  he  had  willed  all  this  material 
to  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society.  It  has  since  been  classified, 
arranged,  and  bound  into  400  folio  volumes. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  177 

It  is  now  in  order  to  state  that  several  of  these  folio  volumes 
deal  with  the  life  work  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  And  among 
these,  four  volumes  are  made  up  of  letters,  notes,  and  reports 
from  the  men  of  his  day  upon  the  route  which  Colonel  Clark 
took  in  his  march  from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes. 
This  material  is  open  to  the  investigation  of  students  and  writers 
and  has  been  consulted  by  those  who  are  interested  in  the  content 
of  this  original  material. 

In  1903  Mr.  Archer  Butler  Hulbert,  a  writer  of  note  on  His- 
torical Highways  made  a  very  exhaustive  study  of  these  manu- 
scripts in  the  Wisconsin  State  Historical  Library  pertaining  to 
the  two  routes  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  the  route  from  Fort 
Massac  to  Kaskaskia  and  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes.  The 
two  routes  described  in  this  volume,  are  based  upon  the  con- 
clusions of  Mr.  Hulbert  after  a  study  of  the  Draper  Manuscripts. 

March  Across  Southern  Illinois 

Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark  left  old  Fort  Massac  on  the  Ohio 
River  June  29,  1778,  with  an  army  of  175  men.  They  carried 
four  days'  rations.  The  general  direction  from  Fort  Massac 
to  Kaskaskia  is  northwest.  There  were  at  that  time  two  trails 
leaving  Fort  Massac  either  of  which  might  have  been  taken  by 
Clark.  These  trails  were  originally  marked  out  by  the  buffaloes 
which  went  in  great  droves  across  Illinois  in  the  general  direc- 
tion above  given  as  the  course  pursued  by  Clark.  One  trail  went 
north,  to  the  east  of  the  cypress  swamps  which  lie  to  the  north 
of  Metropolis,  and  through  Massac  County,  into  Pope  County. 
It  probably  passed  by  Sulphur  Springs,  now  Dixon's  Springs, 
on  over  the  Ozarks  through  what  is  now  called  Moccasin  Gap 
into  the  edge  of  Saline  where  it  joined  a  trail  from  Shawneetown 
to  Kaskaskia.  This  Shawneetown-Kaskaskia  trail  passed  on 
west  not  far  from  Marion  in  Williamson  County  where  it  was 
joined  by  another  trail  from  Fort  Massac  over  the  Ozarks 
through  the  Buffalo  Gap.  It  was  over  this  Buffalo  Gap  trail 
that  Mr.  Hulbert  says  the  Draper  manuscripts  plainly  indicate 
that  Clark  marched.  With  this  in  mind  we  shall  trace  his  trip 
from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia. 

On  leaving  the  fort  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  June,  1778, 
Clark  went  northwest  and  kept  between  the  cypress  swamps 
north  of  the  fort  and  those  further  west,  which  drain  into  the 
Cache  River.  In  the  extreme  northwestern  corner  of  Massac 
County  the  swamps  which  drain  eastward  into  Big  Bay  Creek 
and  those  that  drain  westward  into  the  Cache  come  close  to- 
gether. Between  these  swamps  there  is  a  strip  of  high  ground 
a  half  mile  wide  over  which  an  old  trail  ran.  This  trail  crossed 
out  of  Massac  in  section  two  or  three  in  town  14  south,  range  3 
east,  and  entered  section  33  in  town  13,  range  3  east.    Here  the 


178  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

trail  went  north  over  the  west  side  of  the  high  lands  called 
Indian  Point.  The  part  over  which  the  trail  ran  is  106  above 
the  alluvial  plains  of  the  Ohio,  while  portions  to  the  east  of  the 
trail  a  mile,  are  from  120  feet  to  258  feet  high.  The  trail  over 
Indian  Point  was  easily  discernable  a  few  years  ago.  On  the 
north  slope  of  this  high  hill  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution  have  erected  a  granite  monument  to  mark  the  route 
of  George  Rogers  Clark  through  Johnson  County.  The  Daughters 
were  led  by  Mrs.  Pleasant  Chapman  of  Vienna,  Johnson  County. 

Here  on  Indian  Point  some  eighteen  miles  from  Fort  Massac 
the  little  army  camped  the  first  night  out.  On  the  morning  of 
June  30  the  army  moved  northwest,  crossed  the  east  branch  of 
the  Cache  River,  then  a  little  east  of  northwest  crossing  the 
present  wagon  road  from  Vienna  to  West  Vienna  about  a  mile 
east  of  the  latter  village.  Here  the  trail  is  discernible,  and  to 
the  south  of  the  wagon  road  the  traveler  may  see  here  also  a 
granite  boulder  monument  erected  by  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution.  From  here  the  trail  ran  nearly  due  north 
a  little  east  of  the  village  of  Buncombe,  Johnson  County,  climbed 
the  Ozarks  through  the  Buffalo  Gap,  near  the  beautiful  canyon 
of  Fern  Cliff  and  on  to  the  present  village  of  Goreville  on  the 
Chicago  and  Eastern  Illinois.  Just  as  the  trail  emerges  on  the 
upland  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  have  planted 
another  monument  to  mark  the  patriots'  path. 

Three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Goreville  the  little  army 
emerged  into  the  present  county  of  Williamson  and  at  Pulley's 
Mill  or  just  north  a  mile  or  so  in  Williamson,  they  camped  the 
second  night  out  from  Fort  Massac.  Here  the  ground  is  open 
and  a  fine  spring  furnished  plenty  of  excellent  water.  During 
the  second  day  they  had  crossed  the  present  county  of  Johnson 
— eighteen  miles  from  north  to  south.  The  morning  of  July  1st 
they  broke  camp  and  marched  north  some  eight  miles  when  sud- 
denly the  guide  became  confused  as  to  his  location  and  the  army 
halted.  Clark  told  the  guide  if  he  did  not  find  the  Kaskaskia- 
Shawneetown  trail  he  would  kill  him.  They  were  then  less  than 
two  miles  from  the  above  trail  which  in  that  region  ran  east 
and  west,  and  were  due  south  of  Bainbridge,  an  old  village  which 
stood  on  the  Kaskaskia-Shawnee  trail  three  and  a  half  miles  due 
west  of  Marion,  Williamson  County.  This  trail  was  in  those 
days  called  the  "hunter's  road."  The  army  was  now  in  the  center 
of  a  very  large  prairie  afterwards  called  Phelps  Prairie.  The 
guide  soon  found  the  "hunter's  road"  and  the  army  was  soon  in 
motion.  They  struck  the  Kaskaskia-Shawneetown  trail  at  old 
Bainbridge  and  turned  slightly  north  of  west  and  camped  prob- 
ably about  where  Carterville  is  located  at  a  good  spring. 

The  next  morning,  the  2nd  of  July,  the  army  pushed  west  into 
Jackson  County,  entering,  and  crossing  Crab  Orchard  Creek  in 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  179 

section  2,  town  9,  range  1  west.  Thence  due  west  crossing  Big 
Muddy  at  Marshall's  shoals  section  6,  town  9,  range  1  west. 
Thence  due  northwest,  south  of  Ava  crossing  into  Randolph 
three  miles  west  of  Campbell  Hill.  The  camp  at  the  end  of  the 
fourth  day  was  supposed  to  have  been  in  Levan  Township  in 
Jackson  County.  This  point  is  eighteen  miles  from  the  camp  of 
the  previous  night.  On  reaching  Shilo  Hill  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Randolph  they  were  then  almost  due  east  of  Kaskaskia, 
a  distance  of  seventeen  miles.  But  from  now  on  the  march  is 
over  a  very  broken  country  and  not  at  all  in  a  straight  course. 
The  manuscripts  seem  to  indicate  that  the  army  passed  by  Wine 
Hill  in  section  5,  town  7  south,  range  5  west,  Randolph  County. 
From  there  to  St.  Mary's  River  at  Bremen  Station  in  section  36, 
town  6  south,  range  6  west.  Here  was  the  fifth  camp.  The 
morning  of  the  fourth  found  them  within  twelve  miles  of  Kas- 
kaskia but  they  are  without  provisions  and  they  were  too  close 
to  kill  game.  They  moved  nearly  west  to  Diamond  Cross  only 
five  miles  from  Kaskaskia.  Here  they  reached  the  Vincennes 
trail  running  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes.  Even  from  Diamond 
Cross,  Clark  does  not  wish  to  march  straight  to  Kaskaskia,  and 
the  route  was  taken  which  carried  them  round  toward  Ellis 
Grove,  thence  south  and  west  to  the  Kaskaskia  River  a  mile  or 
so  above  the  town.  Clark  says:  "On  the  4th  of  July,  in  the 
evening,  we  got  within  a  few  miles  of  the  town,  where  we  lay 
until  near  dark,  keeping  spies  ahead,  after  which  we  commenced 
our  march,  and  took  possession  of  a  house  wherein  a  large  family 
lived,  on  the  bank  of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  about  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  above  the  town.  Here  we  were  informed  that  the  peo- 
ple a  few  days  before  were  under  arms,  but  had  concluded  that 
the  cause  of  the  alarm  was  without  foundation ;  and  at  that  time 
there  was  a  great  number  of  men  in  the  town,  but  that  the  In- 
dians had  generally  left  it,  and  at  present  all  was  quiet." 

Clark  now  secured  boats  and  his  little  army  was  taken  across 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  There  was  a  good  wagon  road 
which  ran  from  the  town  of  Kaskaskia  north  along  the  west 
side  of  the  river  for  a  distance  of  two  or  three  miles.  Clark 
marched  his  little  army  to  the  edge  of  the  town.  Here  he  divided 
it  into  two  parts,  with  one  he  marched  to  the  south  side  of  the 
town  where  the  commander,  Phillippe  Francois  de  Rastel,  Cheva- 
lier de  Rocheblave,  was  quartered  in  the  House  of  the  Jesuits. 
This  building  had  a  stockade  around  it  but  it  was  much  in  need 
of  repairs  and  it  presented  no  obstacles  to  the  Kentuckians.  They 
easily  entered  stockade  and  house  and  soon  had  the  Chevalier 
a  prisoner  of  Virginia.  The  other  part  of  the  little  army  was 
directed  to  go  into  the  streets  of  the  town  and  keep  the  people 
within  their  homes. 


180  •      HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia 

The  next  morning  the  people  were  disarmed.  Clark  says 
"nothing  could  exceed  the  confusion  these  people  seemed  to  be 
in,  being  taught  to  expect  nothing  but  savage  treatment  from 
the  American."  Clark's  policy  was  to  present  the  character  of 
a  tyrant.  So  he  did  not  allow  the  French  people  to  communi- 
cate with  the  soldiers.  Father  Gibault,  the  priest  in  charge 
of  the  church  at  Kaskakia  and  Vincennes,  ventured,  with  a  few 
of  the  more  honorable  citizens  of  the  town,  to  call  on  Clark  to 
ask  if  they  might  have  a  service  in  the  church.  Clark  gave  his 
permission.  The  bell  rang  out  and  the  people  gathered  for  their 
accustomed  devotions.  At  the  close  of  the  service  Father  Gibault 
came  again  to  Clark  to  request  that  in  their  separations  that 
families  might  not  be  divided  and  that  the  prisoners  might  be 
privileged  to  take  a  portion  of  their  personal  belongings.  They 
were  evidently  thinking  of  the  departure  of  the  Acadians. 
Colonel  Clark  then  explained  to  the  priest  that  Virginia  was  not 
making  war  on  women  and  children,  but  that  their  mission  in 
coming  to  Kaskaskia  was  to  protect  women  and  children — their 
own  wives  and  children.  Clark  then  explained  that  the  French 
King  had  made  a  treaty  of  alliance  with  the  American  colonies 
against  Great  Britain,  and  that  it  would  be  entirely  proper  now 
for  the  French  colonists  in  the  Illinois  Country  to  ally  them- 
selves with  the  Americans.  The  priest  was  told  that  this  was 
what  the  French  King  desired  them  to  do.  Clark  further  told 
the  priest  and  the  men  with  him  that  in  order  to  prove  to  them 
that  he  was  speaking  the  truth,  he  told  them  that  they  were  now 
free  to  go  and  inform  the  people  that  they  should  dismiss  their 
fears,  that  they  should  conduct  themselves  as  usual  as  no  harm 
was  intended  them.  The  men  in  irons  and  those  in  prison  were 
released  and  there  was  immediately  great  joy  and  loud  demon- 
strations through  the  town.  The  church  bell  rang  and  the  people 
were  overjoyed.  They  met  in  the  church  and  thanked  God  for 
their  happy  deliverance.  Clark  issued  a  proclamation  which 
was  read  in  the  village  and  all  acknowledged  Colonel  Clark  as 
the  commandant  of  the  village. 

An  oath  of  allegiance  to  Virginia  was  prepared  and  all  were 
required  to  subscribe  there  to.  There  was  a  notable  exception 
to  the  general  attitude  of  the  French  toward  the  Americans. 
The  exception  was  the  Chevalier  de  Rocheblave.  He  was  nearly 
unmanageable  and  after  Clark  had  given  him  time  to  reconsider 
his  first  position  he  was  put  in  irons  and  sent  to  Williamsburg 
as  a  prisoner  of  war.  His  private  property  was  seized  including 
slaves  which  were  sold  for  $2,500  which  was  divided  among  the 
soldiers  greatly  to  their  appreciation. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  181 


Capture  of  Cahokia 


After  the  oath  of  allegiance  had  been  administered,  Colonel 
Clark  decided  that  the  next  move  was  the  capture  of  Cahokia. 
This  town  was  sixty  miles  up  the  Mississippi  and  was  an  im- 
portant post  and  the  rendevouz  of  hundreds  of  Indians  who  might 
easily  become  hostile  to  the  Americans.  Major  Bowman  was 
authorized  to  organize  a  small  army  for  the  purpose  of  reducing 
Cahokia.  When  the  French  found  out  that  an  expedition  was 
being  organized  to  reduce  Cahokia,  they  came  to  Clark  and  told 
him  the  people  in  Cahokia  were  their  friends  and  relatives  and 
that  they  could  be  of  material  help  in  the  conquest  of  the  post. 
Clark  was  glad  to  have  them  volunteer  their  services,  and  he 
issued  an  order  that  guns  and  ammunition  should  be  returned  to 
the  French  citizens.  A  company  of  French  volunteers  was  ac- 
cepted as  a  part  of  the  force  to  capture  Cahokia.  Probably  as1 
many  as  sixty  or  seventy  persons  made  up  the  expedition,  a  large 
part  of  whom  was  French  militia.  They  rode  French  ponies 
and  reached  Cahokia  on  the  6th  of  July,  1778.  It  was  an  easy 
task  for  the  French  from  Kaskaskia  to  explain  to  the  Cahokia 
citizens  the  alliance  between  France  and  the  Americans,  and  to 
assure  them  that  the  French  King  was  desirous  that  the  French 
in  the  Illinois  should  ally  themselves  with  the  Americans.  The 
post  surrendered  and  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Virginia  admin- 
istered. When  the  Cahokia  citizens  first  saw  the  Kentuckians 
they  shouted  "Long  Knives,"  the  name  given  by  the  French  to 
the  Virginians.  The  Indians  who  were  encamped  about  Cahokia 
were  told  that  the  Virginia  Government  would  not  permit  them 
to  congregate  in  large  numbers  and  they  quietly  dispersed 

An  interesting  incident  occurred  in  these  early  days  of  the 
conquest  of  Illinois.  There  was  a  very  wealthy  Frenchman  living 
in  Kaskaskia,  a  merchant.  He  was  reported  to  be  a  bitter  foe 
to  the  Americans  and  their  cause.  It  was  learned  that  Monsieur 
Cere  was,  at  the  time  that  Clark  captured  Kaskaskia,  in  St. 
Louis  on  his  way  to  Quebec  to  attend  to  important  business. 
Clark  wished  to  convert  Cere  to  the  American  side,  and  think- 
ing that  he  could  do  it  best  by  severe  measure,  he  took  possession 
of  all  of  the  Frenchman's  property  as  well  as  his  family.  Guards 
were  placed  about  his  house  and  his  stores,  and  his  warehouse 
was  put  under  lock  and  key.  The  rich  merchant  hearing  that 
Kaskaskia  was  in  the  control  of  the  Americans,  and  probably 
aware  of  the  situation  that  really  existed,  hastened  to  Kaskaskia 
and  sought  an  interview  with  Clark.  Colonel  Clark  had  been 
informed  by  the  Kaskaskia  citizens  that  Monsieur  Cere  had  insti- 
gated many  of  the  atrocities  in  Kentucky.  M.  Cere  had  brought 
with  him  from  St.  Louis  a  very  fine  indorsement  from  the  gover- 
nor there,  as  well  as  one  from  the  commandant  at  St.  Genevieve. 
Clark  would  not  be  influenced  by  the  beautifully  worded  indorse- 


182  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

merits.  It  appears  that  Cere's  presence  in  Kaskaskia  was  not 
very  generally  known.  In  his  interview  with  Clark  he  was  told 
that  he  stood  charged  with  very  serious  offenses,  and  that  Colonel 
Clark  had  no  desire  to  condemn  him  unheard  and  that  he  pur- 
posed investigating  the  case  and  to  act  accordingly.  M.  Cere 
denied  all  the  charges  and  offered  to  produce  witnesses  who  would 
testify  that  M.  Cere  had  on  repeated  occasions  voiced  his  con- 
demnations of  the  brutalities  in  the  Kentucky  country.  He  de- 
manded that  his  accusers  should  meet  him  face  to  face.  This 
Clark  proposed  to  have  done.  M.  Cere  was  asked  to  occupy  a 
side  room  from  the  office  and  all  his  accusers  were  brought  before 
Clark.  Many  other  citizens  came  to  see  what  the  proceedings 
should  be.  When  the  accusers  were  all  assembled  M.  Cere  was 
brought  in  and  placed  before  them.  One  by  one  they  began  to 
deny  knowing  anything  against  the  merchant,  and  eventually  no 
one  was  willing  to  testify.  Colonel  Clark  therefore  exhonorated 
him  of  all  charges  and  congratulated  him  upon  the  happy  ending 
of  an  ugly  situation.  M.  Cere  became  an  American  citizen  by 
taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  pledged  himself  loyally  to  sup- 
port Clark  and  the  American  cause. 

Vincennes  Surrendered 

When  Colonel  Clark  first  planned  his  expedition  into  this 
country  he  had  intended  to  attack  Vincennes  first  and  later  to 
reduce  Kaskaskia.  But  before  he  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Wa- 
bash, he  decided  to  change  his  plans,  and  he  attacked  Kaskaskia 
first  as  we  have  seen.  But  Clark  says  he  had  never  given  up 
the  plan  of  reducing  Post  Vincennes.  Clark  was  a  man  who 
could  make  the  best  use  of  all  the  resources  at  hand,  he  there- 
fore called  before  him  Father  Gibault  and  talked  about  the  size 
of  the  army  needed  to  capture  Vincennes.  Just  as  Clark  expect- 
ed, the  priest  told  Clark  that  Governor  Abbott  of  Canada  had 
very  recently  left  Vincennes  and  that  there  were  no  British 
troops  there,  and  that  the  local  militia  had  charge  of  the  fort 
and  its  supplies.  He  further  informed  Clark  that  he,  the  priest, 
would  go  to  Vincennes  and  try  to  get  the  citizens  to  transfer 
their  allegiance  from  the  British  government  to  the  Virginia 
government.  Clark  therefore  sent  Father  Gibault,  accompanied 
by  two  or  more  men  who  Clark  thought  could  be  depended  on, 
to  see  what  could  be  done  with  the  citizens  at  Vincennes.  The 
priest  presented  the  matter  of  the  transfer  of  their  allegiance 
in  such  a  way  as  easily  to  persuade  them  to  change  their  al- 
legiance. They  all  gathered  in  the  church  and  the  oath  was 
administered  to  all  the  citizens.  They  then  selected  some  of 
their  own  number  to  act  in  official  capacities.  They  then  went 
to  the  fort,  pulled  down  the  British  flag,  and  hoisted  the  flag 
of  Virginia.     The  Indians  were  told  that  the  old  French  King 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  183 

had  come  back  to  life  and  that  he  was  displeased  that  his  former 
children  should  be  working  for  the  British.  Father  Gibault 
and  his  party  returned  about  the  first  of  August,  accompanied 
by  several  men  from  Vincennes  who  wished  to  confer  with 
Colonel  Clark. 

While  Father  Gibault  was  absent  from  Kaskaskia  on  the  mis- 
sion to  Vincennes,  Colonel  Clark  was  solving  troublesome  ques- 
tions which  were  constantly  arising.  Among  other  things  he 
planned  to  reenlist  as  many  of  the  Kentucky  soldiers  as  he  could. 
The  agreement  between  Clark  and  his  Kentucky  soldiers  was  to 
the  effect  that  their  enlistment  period  should  not  extend  beyond 
the  reduction  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes;  and  now  that  both 
were  under  the  flag  of  Virginia,  he  feared  many  would  claim 
that  their  time  was  out.  He  therefore  called  for  reenlistments. 
About  one  hundred  of  his  Kentucky  men  reenlisted.  The  others 
were  to  be  mustered  out  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio.  He  further 
opened  the  enlistments  to  the  French  citizens.  Clark  says  the 
French  young  men  took  delight  in  entering  the  service  of  Vir- 
ginia. These  new  recruits  were  drilled  and  became  acquainted 
with  the  ideals  of  the  American  soldier.  The  French  troops 
were  given  French  commanders.  Colonel  Clark  then  stationed 
Captain  Bowman  at  Cahokia  and  Captain  Williams  at  Kaskaskia. 
Col.  Wm.  Linn  returned  to  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  with  the  men 
who  were  to  be  mustered  out.  Captain  Montgomery  had  charge 
of  Chevalier  Rocheblave  whom  he  conducted  to  Williamsburg; 
he  also  carried  dispatches  for  Governor  Henry  from  Colonel 
Clark.  Captain  Helm  was  commissioned  to  have  charge  at  Vin- 
cennes and  especially  to  treat  with  the  Indians  on  the  Wabash. 

The  lack  of  space  will  prevent  our  taking  up  in  detail  all  of 
Clark's  conferences  with  the  Indians  about  this  region;  suffice 
it  to  say  that  considerable  time  was  given  to  the  receiving  of 
great  chiefs,  and  in  making  speeches,  and  in  the  making  of 
treaties.  One  great  council  was  held  at  Cahokia  where  the  chiefs 
of  many  tribes  appeared.  The  peace  pipe  was  smoked,  speeches 
were  made,  and  treaties  favorable  to  the  Americans  were  entered 
into. 

Illinois  Country,  Virginia 

Word  reached  Governor  Patrick  Henry  of  the  signal  victories 
of  the  handful  of  Virginia  troops  who  had  laid  the  foundation 
for  the  annexation  of  a  vast  empire  to  the  government  of  Vir- 
ginia. It  was  not  only  a  piece  of  news  which  would  ordinarily 
have  pleased  the  friends  back  home,  but  it  was  the  entering 
wedge  to  a  successful  demand  for  all  territory  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi when  the  acknowledgment  of  the  independence  of  the 
colonies  should  be  wrung  from  Great  Britain.  Jefferson,  Mason, 
Henry,  Randolph  and  a  host  of  other  Virginians  saw  the  unlooked 
for  importance  of  Clark's  conquests  in  the  West.    The  Virginia 


184  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Assembly  was  in  session  in  October,  1778,  and  the  following  is 
a  law  that  was  passed  creating  the  Country  of  Illinois,  in  the 
State  of  Virginia : 

"All  the  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia  who  are 
already  settled  or  who  shall  hereafter  settle  on  the  western  side 
of  the  Ohio,  shall  be  included  in  a  distinct  county  which  shall 
be  called  Illinois  County ;  and  the  governor  of  this  commonwealth, 
with  the  advice  of  the  council,  may  appoint  a  county-lieutenant 
or  commander-in-chief,  during  pleasure,  who  shall  appoint  and 
commission  as  many  deputy  commandants,  militia  officers,  and 
commissioners  as  he  shall  think  proper  in  the  different  districts, 
during  pleasure ;  all  of  whom,  before  they  enter  into  office,  shall 
take  the  oath  of  fidelity  to  this  commonwealth  and  the  oath  of 
office,  according  to  the  form  of  their  own  religion. 

And  all  civil  officers  to  which  the  inhabitants  have  been  accus- 
tomed necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  peace,  and  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice,  shall  be  chosen  by  a  majority  of  the  citi- 
zens in  their  respective  districts  to  be  convened  for  that  purpose 
by  the  county-lieutenant  or  commandant,  or  his  deputy,  and  shall 
be  commissioned  by  the  said  county-lieutenant  or  commander- 
in-chief." 

In  November  the  House  of  Delegates  took  formal  action  in 
expressing  its  thanks  to  Clark  and  his  brave  men  for  their  won- 
derful success  in  their  campaign  in  the  West.  It  appears  of 
record  as  follows : 

In  the  House  of  Delegates 

Monday  the  23d,  Nov.,  1778. 

Whereas,  authentic  information  has  been  received  that  Lieut.- 
Col.  George  Rogers  Clark,  with  a  body  of  Virginia  militia,  has 
reduced  the  British  posts  in  the  western  parts  of  this  common- 
wealth on  the  Mississippi  and  its  branches,  whereby  great  ad- 
vantage may  accrue  to  the  common  cause  of  America,  as  well 
as  to  this  commonwealth  in  particular: 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  House  are  justly  due  to  the 
said  Colonel  Clark  and  the  brave  officers  and  men  under  his 
command,  for  their  extraordinary  resolution  and  perserverence 
in  so  hazarodus  an  enterprise,  and  for  their  important  services 
to  their  country. 

E.  Randolph, 
C.  H.  D. 

Attest : 

Clark  was  to  have  some  thorns  along  with  the  roses.  When 
Captain  Helm  was  sent  to  Vincennes  to  take  charge  of  the  post 
there,  he  took  with  him  an  American  by  the  name  of  Henry. 
They  were  joyfully  received  by  the  inhabitants.  He  assumed 
full  control  of  all  civil  and  military  activity.  This  was  in  the 
middle  or  latter  part  of  August.     It  appears  that  the  French 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  185 

militia  were  somewhat  organized  and  furnished  with  guns  and 
powder  with  the  understanding  that  these  soldiers  should  help 
in  the  defense  of  the  village  and  the  fort,  if  necessary. 

Word  came  to  Henry  Hamilton,  governor  of  Detroit,  that  Clark 
had  invaded  Illinois  and  that  he  was  in  possession  of  Post  Vin- 
cennes  and  Fort  Sackvile.  Without  delay  he  prepared  to  retake 
the  fort  and  village.  His  force  consisted  of  thirty  regular  troops, 
fifty  Canadians,  and  400  Indians,  and  with  this  body  of  warriors 
he  started  for  the  headwaters  of  the  Wabash.  He  was  obliged 
to  refuse  the  offer  of  a  large  number  of  Indians  along  the  Wabash 
to  aid  him  in  the  recapture  of  Vincennes.  An  interesting  story 
is  told  in  Butler's  History  of  Kentucky,  published  in  1834,  as 
follows : 

As  General  Hamilton  was  nearing  the  village,  the  villagers 
not  heeding  the  call  of  the  fort  for  help,  Captain  Helm  and 
Private  Henry  decided  upon  a  bold  procedure.  Private  Henry 
loaded  one  of  the  cannon  of  the  fort  and  it  was  placed  at  the 
gate  of  the  stockade,  while  Captain  Helm  stood  near  with  a 
torch  in  his  hand.  When  General  Hamilton  came  within  hailing 
distance,  Captain  Helm  called  out  to  Hamilton,  "Halt!"  The 
British  army  was  brought  to  a  standstill.  Hamilton  there  de- 
manded the  surrender  of  the  fort,  when  Helm  replied,  "No  man 
shall  enter  until  I  know  the  terms."  Governor  Hamilton  re- 
plied that  the  force  in  the  fort  should  march  out  with  the  honors 
of  war.  Captain  Helm  thought  these  terms  were  entirely  satis- 
factory and  so  he  and  Hamilton  prepared  for  the  formal  surren- 
der, and  at  the  proper  time  Captain  Helm  with  the  flag  and 
Private  Henry  with  the  drum  marched  out  between  the  long  lines 
of  Red  Coats,  Canadians  and  Indians. 

Helm  was  held  in  Vincennes  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  Governor 
Hamilton  found  that  he  had  too  large  a  force  to  hold  in  idle- 
ness about  Vincennes;  it  was  therefore  provided  that  only  a 
portion  of  the  force  should  remain  at  Fort  Sackville  while  a 
larger  part  was  sent  down  on  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  for 
the  purpose  of  guarding  against  the  approach  of  reenforcements 
for  Colonel  Clark. 

Governor  Hamilton  had  in  mind  that  he  would  make  a  sort 
of  campaign  up  the  Ohio,  ravaging  Kentucky  and  possibly  re- 
ducing Fort  Pitt,  and  returning  in  the  spring,  gather  his  scat- 
tered forces  and  attack  Kaskaskia  and  capture  Clark  and  his 
rag-a-muffin  army.  But  Governor  Hamilton  was  hindered,  and 
his  dream  was  never  realized. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CIVIL  GOVERNMENT  IN  ILLINOIS 

Colonel  Vigo — March  to  Vincennes — The  Attack — Terms 
of  Surrender — Coming  of  John  Todd — Todd's  Departure 
— Illinois  Abandoned. 

When  Colonel  Clark  first  reached  the  Illinois  Country  he  little 
dreamed  that  he  would  find  friends  in  this  region.  Among  sev- 
eral warm  friends  which  Colonel  Clark  made  in  this  country, 
none  were  more  loyal  or  more  really  helpful  than  Colonel  Francis 
Vigo,  a  Spanish  merchant  who  lived  in  St.  Louis.  He  early 
visited  Colonel  Clark  at  Kaskaskia  and  was  soon  greatly  attached 
to  the  American  cause.  He  promised  Clark  his  influence,  and 
proved  the  sincerity  of  his  profession  by  making  Clark  a  sub- 
stantial loan.  When  Clark  left  the  Illinois  Country  he  was  in 
debt  to  Vigo  to  the  amount  of  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

Colonel  Vigo 

Helm  took  charge  of  Fort  Sackville  at  Vincennes  August  15, 
1778.  Clark  got  little  or  no  word  directly  from  Helm  and  he 
was  concerned  about  his  welfare.  After  the  capture  of  Vin- 
cennes by  Hamilton  all  communication  with  Kaskaskia  ceased. 
Clark  did  not  know  that  Hamilton  had  retaken  Vincennes,  but 
he  thought  it  strange  that  he  heard  nothing  from  Helm.  About 
the  first  part  of  January,  1779,  Clark  asked  Colonel  Vigo  to 
make  a  trip  to  Vincennes  and  to  report  to  him  the  situation. 
Vigo  was  glad  to  serve  his  friend,  more  particularly  since  he 
often  went  to  Vincennes  to  trade  in  furs  and  pelts.  When  Vigo 
arrived  at  Vincennes  he  was  arrested  by  Hamilton  on  the  theory 
that  he  was  a  spy.  But  Vigo  knew  the  people  of  the  village, 
and  they  all  knew  him ;  besides  the  Indians  all  knew  Vigo.  These 
friends  were  ready  to  vouch  for  Vigo.  In  addition  to  his  standing 
in  the  village  and  among  the  Indians  as  a  merchant  and  trader, 
he  was  a  subject  of  Spain  and  his  arrest  and  confinement  might 
precipitate  diplomatic  complications.  After  being  restrained  of 
his  liberty  for  some  time,  Hamilton  agreed  to  his  release  pro- 
vided he  would  go  straight  to  his  home  in  St.  Louis  and  that  he 
would  do  nothing  on  the  way  to  injure  the  British  cause. 

Colonel  Vigo  was  an  honest  old  soldier.  He  made  a  direct 
and  rapid  journey  to  St.  Louis.  He  kept  the  contract  he  had 
made  with  Hamilton.     But  he  remained  only  long  enough  to 

186 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  187 

comply  with  his  agreement  with  Hamilton.  He  repaired  imme- 
diately to  Kaskaskia  to  confer  with  Colonel  Clark.  He  arrived 
in  Kaskaskia  January  29,  1779.  Clark  was  already  very  much 
disturbed  by  reason  of  the  absence  of  information  from  Captain 
Helm.  But  the  news  which  Colonel  Vigo  brought  was  a  great 
shock  to  Colonel  Clark.  He  ordered  Captain  Bowman  to  report 
at  Kaskaskia  to  assist  in  organizing  an  overland  expedition  for 
the  conquest  of  Hamilton  at  Vincennes.  for,  as  Colonel  Clark 
said,  "If  I  do  not  take  Hamilton,  Hamilton  will  take  me."  A 
part  of  the  plan  of  conquest  was  to  send  a  galley  down  the 
Mississippi,  and  up  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash,  to  await  below 
Vincennes  the  coming  of  the  land  expedition.  A  large  Missis- 
sippi keel  boat  was  purchased  and  fitted  out  as  a  galley.  Two 
four-pound  guns  were  mounted,  and  in  addition  four  large 
swivels.  Provisions  and  ammunition  were  placed  on  the  boat 
which  was  christened  "The  Willing."  Capt.  John  Rogers  was 
the  captain ;  he1  had  forty-six  men  under  his  command,  and  they 
sailed  on  the  fourth  of  February,  1779. 

Orders  were  given  for  preparation  for  the  overland  march. 
Two  French  militia  companies  were  organized,  one  from  Cahokia 
and  one  from  Kaskaskia.  The  company  from  Cahokia  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  McCarty,  and  the  one  from  Kaskaskia  by 
Captain  Charleville.  There  were  three  companies  of  Americans 
commanded  by  Captains  Bowman,  Williams,  and  Worthington. 
The  company  was  usually  made  up  of  fifty  men,  but  in  these 
five  companies  there  were  but  170  men,  an  average  of  only 
thirty-four  men  to  a  company.  Clark  has  given  us  a  very  good 
picture  of  the  interest  in  the  preparations  in  Kaskaskia  and 
probably  in  the  other  villages.  He  says:  "Orders  were  immedi- 
ately issued  for  preparations.  The  whole  country  folk  took  fire 
with  alarm ;  and  every  order  was  executed  with  cheerfulness  by 
every  description  of  the  inhabitants — preparing  provisions,  en- 
couraging volunteers,  etc.,  etc.,  and  as  we  had  plenty  of  stores, 
every  man  completely  rigged  with  what  he  could  desire  to  with- 
stand the  coldest  weather." 

March  to  Vincennes 

Everything  was  ready  on  the  5th  of  February  and  after  being 
lectured,  and  receiving  absolution  from  the  priest  they  crossed 
the  Kaskaskia  River  and  marched  about  three  miles  and  en- 
camped. This  camping  place  was  not  far  from  the  village  of 
Diamond  Cross  or  Palestine.  Here  they  remained  in  camp  from 
the  5th  to  the  7th,  when  they  resumed  the  march.  The  direc- 
tion is  in  general  northeast.  A  careful  study  of  the  geography 
will  reveal  that  this  direction  was  between  two  water  systems; 
one  of  which  on  north  and  west  is  the  Kaskaskia  system,  and 
the  one  to  the  east  and  south  is  the  St.  Mary's.    This  gave  a  high 


188  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

dry  route  from  Diamond  Cross  to  Sparta,  a  distance  of  ten 
miles.  From  Sparta  in  a  straight  course  northeast  to  Nashville, 
passed  a  mile  south  of  Coulterville.  From  Nashville  to  Rich- 
view,  thence  to  Walnut  Hill  in  the  southwest  part  of  Jefferson 
County.  From  Walnut  Hill  in  a  very  direct  way  to  Xenia  in 
Clay  County.  From  Xenia  very  nearly  east  passing  Flora  and 
Clay  City.  Up  to  this  point  the  little  army  had  experienced 
hardships  but  no  serious  opposition.  They  killed  game  for  food 
and  usually  had  a  sort  of  feast  at  night,  all  the  companies  gather- 
ing about  one  fire  where  they  cooked,  ate,  and  enjoyed  them- 
selves very  freely,  so  Clark  says.  The  rains  were  falling  and 
every  stream  was  full  to  the  top  of  its  banks.  Captain  Bow- 
man's journal  says,  "11th  crossed  the  Saline  River.  Nothing 
extraordinary  this  day."  They  arrived  at  the  Little  Wabash 
a  mile  east  of  Clay  City  and  found  the  low  land  between  it  and 
the  Big  Muddy  Creek  three  miles  east,  covered  with  water.  In 
fact  there  was  about  five  miles  of  space  covered  by  water.  Here 
they  built  a  boat  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  them  over  the 
deeper  parts  of  the  water.  The  larger  stream,  the  Little  Wa- 
bash, was  crossed  by  means  of  the  newly  made  boat,  and  the 
baggage  placed  on  a  sort  of  platform  in  three  feet  of  water. 
The  pack  horses  swam  the  river  which  was  a  100  feet  wide. 
The  men  were  brought  across  in  the  boat,  the  pack  horses  were 
reloaded,  and  all  started  through  the  three  feet  of  water  which 
covered  the  low  ground  between  the  Little  Wabash  and  the  Big 
Muddy  Creek — a  distance  of  three  or  more  miles.  The  drowned 
lands  to  the  east  of  the  Big  Muddy  Creek  extended  the  whole 
width  to  five  miles.  In  the  low  ground  between  the  two  channels 
the  water  was  from  3  to  5  feet  deep.  The  men  carried  their 
guns  and  powder  on  top  of  their  heads.  Of  course  there  was 
great  suffering,  but  the  men  had  steeled  themselves  to  do  and 
to  dare  unprobable  and  impossible  things.  The  army  reached 
the  "Wabashes"  the  afternoon  of  the  13th,  built  their  boat  on 
the  14th,  and  crossed  the  Wabashes  on  the  15th  of  February. 
On  the  morning  of  the  16th  they  marched  east  and  crossed 
Fox  River.  They  reached  the  Embarras  River  about  where  the 
City  of  Lawrenceville  is  on  the  afternoon  of  the  17th.  Find- 
ing the  lands  between  the  Embarras  and  the  Wabash — that  is, 
between  Lawrenceville  and  Vincennes — flooded  and  not  finding 
any  boats,  they  moved  south  and  east  along  the  Embarras  till 
they  found  a  place  to  camp  for  the  night.  "18th — at  daybreak 
heard  Hamilton's  morning  gun.  (They  were  then  10  miles 
southwest  of  Vincennes.)  Set  off  and  marched  down  the  river 
(Embarras),  saw  some  fine  land.  About  2  o'clock  came  to  the 
banks  of  the  Wabash." 

Here  they  spent  the  next  three  days  building  rafts,  digging 
canoes,  and  trying  to  cross  the  Wabash.  Major  Bowman's 
journal  says  on  the  19th — "Many  of  the  men  cast  down — par- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  189 

ticularly  the  volunteers  (the  French  militia).  No  provision 
now  of  any  sort,  two  days,  hard  fortune."  On  the  20th  they 
captured  five  Frenchmen  from  Vincennes  who  told  the  Amer- 
icans that  Hamilton  was  ignorant  of  the  presence  of  Clark 
then  so  near  to  Vincennes.  They  killed  a  deer  on  the  20th.  On 
the  21st  the  army  was  ferried  across  the  Wabash  in  canoes, 
and  on  the  raff.  They  rested  on  a  small  rise  in  the  ground 
called  "mamelle"  about  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  river. 
They  were  now  eight  miles  in  a  straight  line  south  from  the 
village  and  fort.  From  the  first  "mamelle"  they  marched  east 
and  a  little  north  a  distance  of  three  miles  to  a  second  "ma- 
melle." The  next  high  ground  was  said  by  the  guides  to  be  a 
place  called  the  sugar  camp  two  miles  north  of  the  second 
"mamelle."  Canoes  were  sent  out  on  reconnoitering  expeditions. 
They  returned  with  nothing  encouraging.  The  men  had  had 
some  meat  and  soup  since  they  crossed  the  river  and  were  in 
fairly  good  spirits.  At  best,  however,  the  situation  was  ex- 
tremely perilous.  Clark  took  some  powder  in  his  hand,  poured 
on  water  and  blackened  his  face,  gave  the  warhoop,  and  plunged 
into  the  water  and  made  toward  the  sugar  camp.  The  men  were 
very  weak  but  with  a  huzza  they  followed,  the  water  sometimes 
to  their  shoulders.  They  went  through  a  wood  just  before  reach- 
ing the  sugar  camp  and  the  men  hung  to  the  limbs  of  trees  and 
floated  on  the  logs.  As  the  men  came  to  land  they  would  fall  to 
the  ground  as  they  came  out  of  the  water.  They  built  fires  and 
took  a  little  exercise  in  the  sunshine  and  all  regained  their 
strength. 

They  were  now  about  five  miles  due  south  of  the  village. 
Some  of  Clark's  men  who  were  out  in  a  canoe  spied  some  squaws 
and  children  making  their  way  over  the  flooded  lands  to  Vin- 
cennes. They  were  forced  to  come  to  the  sugar  camp  where 
the  soldiers  were  resting  and,  lo!  in  the  boat  was  a  quarter  of 
buffalo,  some  corn,  tallow,  kettles,  etc.  This  was  a  great  cap- 
ture. Broth  was  made  and  served  to  the  weakest  with  caution, 
to  the  strong  in  quantities.  Clark  was  a  psychologist  and  he 
was  constantly  bringing  about  desirable  ends  by  indirection. 
From  the  sugar  camp  they  crossed  a  lake  in  canoes  and  waded 
the  drowned  lands  to  Warrior's  Island  (Warren's  Island) .  They 
were  now  two  miles  south  of  the  fort  which  was  in  plain  view. 
Some  Frenchmen  were  seen  at  a  distance  hunting  ducks  in  the 
overflowed  land.  Some  of  Clark's  French  soldiers  were  sent 
out  to  these  hunters  and  one  of  them  was  asked  to  come  to 
Clark's  camp,  which  he  did.  He  said  the  British  had  just  com- 
pleted the  repairs  on  the  fort  and  that  a  number  of  Indians 
were  lounging  about  the  village.  Clark  began  then  to  march 
on  the  fort.  But  as  a  part  of  the  plan  he  wrote  the  following 
address  to  the  inhabitants  in  the  village  and  sent  it  in  by  a 
messenger. 


190  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

"To  the  Inhabitants  of  Post  Vincennes: 

Gentlemen:  Being  now  within  two  miles  of  your  village, 
with  my  army,  determined  to  take  your  fort  this  night,  and  not 
being  willing  to  surprise  you,  I  take  this  method  to  request 
such  of  you  as  are  true  citizens  and  willing  to  enjoy  the  liberty 
I  bring  you,  to  remain  still  in  your  houses;  and  those,  if  any 
there  be,  that  are  friends  to  the  king,  will  instantly  repair  to 
the  fort  and  join  the  hair-buyer  general,  and  fight  like  men. 
And  if  any  such  as  do  not  go  to  the  fort  shall  be  discovered 
afterwards,  they  may  depend  on  severe  punishment.  On  the 
contrary,  those  who  are  true  friends  to  liberty  may  depend  on 
being  well  treated;  and  I  once  more  request  them  to  keep  out 
of  the  streets.  For  every  one  I  find  in  arms  on  my  arrival,  I 
shall  treat  him  as  an  enemy. 

(Signed)     G.  R.  Clark." 

The  messenger  who  carried  this  communication  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  village  was  watched  by  the  soldiers  as  they  could 
see  him  all  the  way  to  the  village.  In  a  short  time  the  villagers 
began  to  gather  in  knots  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  there 
were  signs  of  activity  in  the  village.  All  this  time  the  people 
in  the  fort  were  wholly  unconscious  of  the  nearness  of  Clark's 
troops,  and  knew  nothing  of  any  unusual  situation  in  the  vil- 
lage. It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  23d  of  February, 
1779.  Clark  began  to  march  toward  the  village.  The  little 
army  was  moved  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  appear  to  people 
in  the  village  and  fort  that  there  were  two  or  three  times  as 
many  soldiers  as  there  really  were.  Clark  had  flags  of  different 
colors  which  he  had  prepared  before  he  left  Kaskaskia.  These 
were  used  so  that  it  appeared  there  were  many  more  soldiers 
than  there  were. 

On  reaching  the  village  the  American  army  was  marched 
through  the  outlying  parts  of  the  village  in  order  to  make  an 
impression  upon  the  citizens  of  the  town.  When  Clark  was 
ready  he  opened  fire  on  the  fort.  This  took  Hamilton  com- 
pletely by  surprise.  The  fire  was  vigorous  and  was  returned  as 
vigorously.  The  American  army  would  have  soon  exhausted 
their  powder  had  it  not  been  for  the  action  of  the  Vincennes 
inhabitants.  Upon  the  approach  of  Hamilton  when  he  came 
from  Canada,  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  had  word  that  Ham- 
ilton expected  to  confiscate  all  the  powder  and  bullets  in  the 
village.  To  circumvent  this  misfortune,  the  villagers  hid  their 
supply  of  powder  and  bullets.  When  Clark  came  into  the  town, 
the  people  very  generously  let  him  have  all  their  stock  of  am- 
munition. Clark's  little  army  was  therefore  well  supplied,  and 
the  firing  went  on  without  abatement. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  191 


The  Attack 


There  were  several  hundred  Indians  in  the  town  and  a  part 
of  them  were  very  anxious  to  join  in  the  attack  on  the  fort  but 
Clark  felt  that  he  would  better  reduce  the  fort  without  their 
help.  He  told  them  he  would  confer  with  them  on  the  morrow. 
The  fort  was  completely  surrounded  and  the  bombardment  was 
kept  up  till  about  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning.  Fifty  of 
Clark's  army  were  held  in  reserve,  but  fully  that  many  of  the 
French  villagers  took  their  places  in  the  ranks  of  the  besieging 
army.  The  fort  was  supplied  with  cannon,  but  when  the  port- 
holes were  opened  the  American  riflemen  would  so  surely  pick 
off  the  gunners  that  they  gave  up  the  use  of  the  cannon.  Sev- 
eral of  Hamilton's  men  who  ventured  to  show  their  heads  over 
the  walls  of  the  fort  were  also  picked  off  by  the  riflemen.  Dur- 
ing the  night  Colonel  Clark  sent  a  detachment  of  workers  as 
close  to  the  fort  as  they  could  get  in  order  to  dig  trenches  and 
throw  up  breastworks.  This  they  did  successfully,  so  that  when 
the  morning  came  the  Americans  were  safe  behind  their  own 
breastworks. 

About  9  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  Colonel  Clark 
decided  to  put  on  a  bold  front  and  demand  the  surrender  of 
the  fort.  He  did  this  because  he  was  uncertain  what  would  be 
the  attitude  of  the  Indians  should  the  siege  hold  out  too  long. 
Colonel  Clark  had  not  heard  anything  from  the  vessel  which 
was  overdue,  and  he  felt  that  the  time  was  opportune,  as  their 
might  be  some  unforeseen  conditions  arise  which  would  render 
all  of  their  advantage  of  no  avail.  He  therefore  directed  a  let- 
ter which  he  sent  to  the  fort  under  a  flag  of  truce.  The  com- 
munication sent  to  Colonel  Hamilton  was  as  follows: 

"Sir:  In  order  to  save  yourself  from  the  impending  storm 
that  now  threatens  you,  I  order  you  immediately  to  surrender 
yourself,  with  all  your  garrison,  stores,  etc.,  etc.  For  if  I  am 
obliged  to  storm,  you  may  depend  on  such  treatment  as  is  justly 
due  to  a  murderer.  Beware  of  destroying  stores  of  any  kind, 
or  any  papers  or  letters  that  are  in  your  possession,  or  hurting 
one  house  in  town — for,  by  Heavens!  if  you  do,  there  shall  be 
no  mercy  shown  you. 

(Signed)     G.  R.  Clark." 

We  must  admit  that  this  was  a  pretty  vigorous  demand  on  an 
officer  to  surrender.  Colonel  Hamilton  immediately  returned 
the  following  reply: 

"Lieutenant  Governor  Hamilton  begs  leave  to  acquaint  Colo- 
nel Clark,  that  he  and  his  garrison  are  not  disposed  to  be  awed 
into  any  action  unworthy  British  subjects." 

This  was  a  dignified  reply  and  a  little  haughty  in  tone.  The 
firing  was  resumed  and  was  kept  up  vigorously  on  both  sides. 
Clark  says  his  men  frequently  proposed  to  rush  the  fort  and 


192  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

put  an  end  to  the  conflict.  But  Clark  wished  to  save  the  lives 
of  his  soldiers.  In  the  afternoon  after  the  garrison  had  lost 
several  of  its  men  Colonel  Hamilton  made  a  proposition  under 
flag-  of  truce  for  a  three  days'  truce  in  the  following  form: 

"Lieutenant  Governor  Hamilton  proposes  to  Colonel  Clark  a 
truce  of  three  days;  during  which  time  he  promises  there  shall 
be  no  defensive  works  carried  on  in  the  garrison,  on  condition 
that  Colonel  Clark  shall  observe  on  his  part  a  like  cessation  of 
any  defensive  work;  that  is,  he  wishes  to  confer  with  Colonel 
Clark  as  soon  as  can  be;  and  promises  whatever  may  pass 
between  these  two,  and  another  person  mutually  agreed  upon  to 
be  present,  shall  remain  secret  till  matters  be  finished,  as  he 
wishes,  that  whatver  the  result  of  the  conference  may  be,  it 
may  tend  to  the  honor  and  credit  of  each  party.  If  Colonel 
Clark  makes  a  difficulty  of  coming  into  the  fort,  Lieutenant 
Governor  Hamilton  will  speak  to  him  by  the  gate. 

(Signed)     Henry  Hamilton. 
24th  February,  79." 

This  proposition  for  a  three  days'  truce,  all  things  consid- 
ered, would  probably  have  been  to  the  advantage  of  Colonel 
Clark.  He  had  hopes  that  Captain  Helm  with  the  Willing 
would  be  on  the  scene  within  three  days,  with  provisions  and 
men.  In  that  case  there  would  be  no  question  as  to  Clark's 
ability  to  force  the  garrison  to  surrender.  When  Clark  con- 
ferred with  his  officers  there  were  different  interpretations  of 
the  note  from  Colonel  Hamilton.  Some  thought  it  a  scheme 
to  get  Clark  within  the  fort  for  the  purpose  of  detaining  him 
indefinitely.  After  the  conference  with  his  officers,  Colonel 
Clark  decided  to  send  the  following  communication  to  Colonel 
Hamilton : 

"Colonel  Clark's  compliments  to  Lieutenant  Governor  Ham- 
ilton, and  begs  leave  to  inform  him  that  he  will  not  agree  to  any 
terms  other  than  Mr.  Hamilton's  surrendering  himself  and  gar- 
rison prisoners  at  discretion.  If  Mr.  Hamilton  is  desirous  of 
a  conference  with  Colonel  Clark,  he  will  meet  him  at  the  church, 
with  Captain  Helm. 

February  24th,  '79.  G.  R.  C." 

Clark  tells  the  story  of  the  conference  in  a  very  interesting 
way.  The  two  principals  met  at  the  church  which  was  some 
eight  yards  from  the  fort.  Hamilton  was  accompanied  by  Major 
John  Hay  who  was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  about 
Detroit,  also  by  Captain  Helm  who  was  held  as  a  prisoner  in 
the  fort.  Colonel  Clark  was  accompanied  by  Major  Bowman. 
Lieutenant  Governor  Hamilton  presented  what  he  thought  would 
be  acceptable  terms  of  surrender,  but  Clark,  like  Grant,  would 
have  nothing  but  unconditional  surrender.  After  a  fruitless 
conference,  they  parted  to  renew  attack  and  defense.  Hamil- 
ton had  not  gone  far  toward  the  fort  till  he  turned  and  renewed 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  193 

the  discussion  as  to  terms.  In  this  second  stage  of  the  con- 
ference Clark  told  Hamilton  that  he  expected  to  take  the  fort 
and  that  his  men  would  have  no  mercy  on  any  one.  Hamilton 
and  Hay  were  visibly  affected  by  the  savage  threats  of  Clark, 
and  were  told  to  return  to  the  fort  and  that  Clark  would  recon- 
sider his  terms  of  surrender. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  24th  Colonel  Clark  sent  a  set  of  ar- 
ticles to  the  fort  for  Governor  Hamilton.  These  were  agreed 
to  and  the  struggle  was  over.  The  following  are  the  terms  as 
offered  by  Clark: 

Terms  of  Surrender 

1.  Lieutenant-Governor  Hamilton  engages  to  deliver  up  to 
Colonel  Clark,  Fort  Sackville,  as  it  is  at  present,  with  all  the 
stores,  etc. 

2.     The  garrison  are  to  deliver  themselves  as  prisoners  of 
war ;  and  march  out  with  their  arms  and  accoutrements,  etc. 

3.  The  garrison  to  be  delivered  up  at  10  o'clock  tomorrow. 

4.  Three  days'  time  to  be  allowed  the  garrison  to  settle 
their  accounts  with  the  inhabitants  and  traders  of  this  place. 

5.  The  officers  of  the  garrison  to  be  allowed  their  necessary 
baggage,  etc. 

Signed  at  Post  St.  Vincent,  24th  February,  1779. 

Agreed  for  the  following  reasons:  The  remoteness  from 
succor;  the  state  and  quantity  of  provisions,  etc.;  unanimity  of 
officers  and  men  in  its  expediency ;  the  honorable  terms  allowed ; 
and  lastly,  the  confidence  in  a  generous  enemy. 

HENRY  HAMILTON, 

Lt.  Gov.  and  Superintendent. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  the  Willing,  with  supplies  and  men, 
arrived.  With  the  Willing  came  dispatches  from  Virginia.  The 
army  of  conquest  was  now  busy  carrying  out  the  terms  of  the 
surrender.  Governor  Hamilton  and  Major  Hay  were  sent  to 
Williamsburg  as  prisoners  of  war.  The  soldiers  were  detained 
a  while  and  paroled  and  allowed  to  return  to  Detroit. 

Just  as  the  surrender  occurred  word  came  to  Clark  that  sev- 
eral canoes  loaded  with  provisions  and  supplies  destined  for 
Fort  Sackville  were  on  their  way  down  the  Wabash  from  De- 
troit. A  company  of  men  under  Captain  Helm  left  Vincennes 
on  the  26th  to  capture  this  flotilla.  The  vessels  were  found  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Vermilion  River.  There  were  seven  boats. 
The  boats  were  easily  captured  at  night.  Captain  Helm  re- 
turned to  Vincennes  on  the  5th  of  March  with  a  large  store  of 
provisions  to  be  used  for  the  good  of  the  soldiers.  Besides 
these  seven  boats  of  provisions,  clothing,  etc.,  there  were  con- 
siderable supplies  in  the  fort  when  it  was  surrendered. 

Now  that  this  task  is  done,  the  men  are  ready  for  another 
which  would  have  been  as  trying,  and  if  successful,  as  profit- 
able both  to  the  government  and  for  the  soldiers  as  individuals. 

9V1 


194  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

This  was  the  capture  of  Detroit.  Clark,  too,  is  very  anxious, 
but  he  hesitated.  He  probably  was  wise,  for  to  garrison  De- 
troit, Vincennes,  Cahokia,  and  Kaskaskia,  besides  the  small  vil- 
lages here  and  there  would  have  been  a  big  undertaking.  It 
appears  that  Clark  wasted  valuable  time — but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  he  was  absolutely  under  the  command  of  the  governor 
of  Virginia.  And  again  that  Virginia  had  given  not  a  bit  of 
help  materially  since  the  expedition  started  from  Corn  Island. 
Eventually  Clark  selected  Lieutenant  Brashear  to  command  the 
fort  at  Vincennes.  He  had  as  assistants  Lieutenants  Bayley  and 
Champlin  and  forty  soldiers.  Capt.  Leonard  Helm  was  made 
commandant  of  the  town,  and  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs. 
Moses  Henry  was  made  Indian  agent,  and  Patrick  Kennedy 
was  made  Quartermaster.  Clark  and  the  remainder  of  the  army 
took  passage  in  boats  for  Kaskaskia.  In  due  time  they  reached 
their  destination.  One  day  in  June  the  little  army  was  surprised 
by  the  arrival  of  Colonel  Montgomery  from  Kentucky.  This 
was  the  first  batch  of  reinforcements  for  the  Detroit  expedition. 
In  the  middle  of  the  summer  of  1779  Clark  assembled  a  force 
at  Vincennes  for  the  purpose  of  proceeding  to  the  attack  of 
Detroit  but  there  were  so  many  discouragements  and  disappoint- 
ments that  the  expedition  was  abandoned,  at  least  for  the  time 
being. 

One  might  say,  what  is  all  this  suffering,  this  anxiety,  these 
sacrifices,  and  these  weary  journeys  about?  Have  these  British 
posts  of  Kaskaskia,  Vincennes,  and  Detroit  ever  been  responsi- 
ble for  enough  suffering  in  Kentucky  to  justify  all  this  outlay 
of  labor  and  suffering  on  the  part  of  Clark  and  his  men?  One 
picture  will  be  given,  and  then  when  we  remember  that  this 
is  only  one  in  many,  we  can  answer  whether  the  conditions 
justified  the  work  of  Clark  and  his  Kentucky  backwoodsmen. 

At  some  period  before  Lieutenant-Governor  Hamilton  left  De- 
troit for  the  capture  of  Vincennes  in  the  fall  of  1778  one  John 
Leith,  an  American  sympathizer,  engaged  in  the  fur  trading 
business,  was  arrested  and  held  at  Detroit  as  a  prisoner  with 
more  or  less  of  liberty.  In  his  diary  was  found  the  following 
incident  which  was  copied  by  H.  W.  Beckwith  who  was  the 
author  of  volume  1  of  the  Illinois  Historical  Collections. 

"One  day,  while  detained  at  the  fort  (in  Detroit),  I  observed 
some  soldiers  drawing  cannon  out  of  the  fort  and  placing  them 
on  the  banks  of  the  river.  While  I  was  ruminating  in  my  mind, 
what  could  be  the  meaning  of  this  singular  maneuvre,  a  young 
silversmith,  with  whom  I  was  intimately  acquainted,  came  and 
asked  me  to  walk  with  him  and  see  them  fire  the  cannon.  I 
walked  with  him  to  the  place  where  they  had  carried  them. 
When  we  arrived  there  we  found  Governor  Hamilton  and  sev- 
eral British  officers  who  were  standing  and  sitting  around. 

Immediately  after  our  arrival  at  the  place,  the  Indians  pro- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  195 

duced  a  large  quantity  of  scalps,  the  cannon  fired,  the  Indians 
raised  a  shout,  and  the  soldiers  waved  their  hats,  with  huzzas 
and  tremendous  shrieks,  which  lasted  some  time. 

This  ceremony  being  ended,  the  Indians  brought  forward  a 
parcel  of  American  prisoners  (supposed  to  be  from  the  Ken- 
tucky settlements) ,  as  a  trophy  of  their  victories ;  among  whom 
were  eighteen  women  and  children,  poor  creatures;  dreadfully 
mangled  and  emaciated ;  with  their  clothes  tattered  and  torn  to 
pieces,  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  hide  their  nakedness,  their 
legs  bare  and  streaming  with  blood ;  the  effects  of  being  torn 
with  thorns,  briers,  and  brush.  To  see  these  poor  people  dragged, 
like  sheep  to  the  slaughter  along  the  British  lines,  caused  my 
heart  to  shrink  with  throbbings  and  my  hair  to  raise  with  rage ; 
and  if  ever  I  committed  murder  in  my  heart,  it  was  then;  for 
if  I  had  had  the  opportunity,  and  had  been  supported  with 
strength,  I  certainly  should  have  killed  the  governor,  who  seemed 
to  take  great  delight  in  the  exhibition.  My  business  hurried 
me  from  this  horrible  scene,  and  I  know  not  what  became  of 
those  poor  wretches  who  were  the  miserable  victims  of  savage 
power."  If  this  was  the  common  occurrence  during  these  trou- 
blous times,  there  was  ample  justification  in  Clark's  calling 
Governor  Hamilton  the  "hair  buyer  general." 

Coming  of  John  Todd 

Let  us  recall  that  the  territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio 
River  was  by  act  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  in  the  fall  of 
1778,  organized  into  a  county,  and  steps  were  taken  "for  the 
more  effectual  protection  and  defense  thereof."  This  action  was 
taken  before  Clark  captured  Governor  Hamilton  in  Fort  Sack- 
ville.  "The  act  creating  the  County  of  Illinois  recites  the  suc- 
cessful expedition  of  the  Virginia  militiamen  in  the  country 
adjacent  to  the  Mississippi,  and  that  good  faith  and  safety 
require  that  the  citizens  there  of  who  have  acknowledged  the 
Commonwealth,  shall  be  supported  and  protected  and  that  all 
the  citizens  of  Virginia,  settled  on  the  western  side  of  the  Ohio, 
shall  be  included  in  a  distinct  county  to  be  known  as  the  Illinois 
County." 

The  act  provided  that  the  Governor  of  Virginia  should  ap- 
point a  county-lieutenant  or  commandant,  and  that  this  offi- 
cial should  appoint  and  commission  all  deputy  commandants, 
militia  officers,  and  other  needed  official  assistants.  The  few 
civil  officials  were  to  be  elected  by  the  voters  in  their  respective 
districts. 

The  governor,  Patrick  Henry,  looked  about  for  a  suitable  per- 
son for  so  important  a  position  as  lieutenant-commandant  of 
Virginia's  newly  acquired  domain.  He  was  probably  not  long 
in  making  his  decision.     According  to  Mr.  Edward  C.  Mason, 


196  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

who  is  considered  a  very  careful  writer,  all  during  the  time 
that  this  act  was  before  the  Virginia  Legislature,  the  man  who 
was  to  be  so  highly  honored  with  the  appointment  as  county 
lieutenant  of  Illinois  County,  Virginia,  was  bravely  helping 
to  win  from  British  power  by  force  of  arms,  the  very  domain 
which  he  was  later  selected  to  govern.  This  man  who  was  to 
institute  and  establish  the  fundamental  principles  of  English 
law  and  government  in  a  territory  wrested  from  the  tyranny 
of  George  III,  was  John  Todd,  Esq.,  lately  a  judge  of  the  Ken- 
tucky court  at  Harrodsburg. 

John  Todd  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  educated  in  Virginia, 
practiced  law  in  the  latter  state  and  moved  to  Kentucky  in  the 
exodus  which  passed  over  the  Alleghanies  in  1775.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  first  House  of  Delegates  of  Kentucky,  and  later 
was  a  representative  in  the  Virginia  Legislature.  When  Clark 
was  gathering  up  his  troops  for  the  campaign  against  the  Brit- 
ish posts  in  the  march  west,  John  Todd  was  found  among  the 
soldiers.  There  was  at  least  one  notable  exception  to  the  care- 
less statement  that  Clark's  soldiers  were  the  backwoodsmen 
of  Kentucky.  Mason  says  that  when  Clark  had  surrounded  the 
house  in  which  Rocheblave  was  sleeping  that  John  Todd  was 
the  first  man  to  enter  the  house,  and  further  that  Todd  was 
with  Clark  at  the  capture  of  Hamilton  in  Vincennes.  If  this 
is  true  we  can  understand  the  strong  ties  of  friendship  which 
bound  the  two  men  together. 

Patrick  Henry,  Governor  of  Virginia,  in  the  quaint  old  town 
of  Williamsburn,  sat  in  the  chair  of  state,  where  the  royal 
governors  had  ruled  the  Old  Dominion,  and  wrote  in  a  common 
account  book  with  his  own  hand  the  appointment,  the  instruc- 
tions, and  the  limitations  of  a  governor  of  an  imperial  domain — 
the  territory  out  of  which  five  of  the  nation's  great  states  have 
been  formed — Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin. 
This  historic  document  now  rests  securely  in  a  fire-proof  vault 
where  at  least  "where  thieves  can  not  break  through  and  steal." 
These  instructions  to  County-Lieutenant  John  Todd  occupy  five 
pages  and  may  be  stated  in  brief : 

Todd  is  referred  to  the  law  or  act  creating  the  office  of 
County-Lieutenant,  and  continues — "The  grand  objects  which 
are  disclosed  to  the  view  of  your  countrymen  will  prove  bene- 
ficial, or  otherwise,  according  to  the  value  and  abilities  of  those 
who  are  called  to  direct  the  affairs  of  that  remote  country.  The 
present  crisis  rendered  favorable  by  the  good  disposition  of  the 
French  and  Indians,  may  be  improved  to  great  purposes,  but  if, 
unhappily,  it  should  be  lost,  a  return  of  the  same  attachments 
to  us  may  never  happen.  Considering,  therefore,  that  early 
prejudices  are  so  hard  to  wear  out,  you  will  take  care  to  culti- 
vate and  conciliate  the  affections  of  the  French  and  Indians." 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  197 

Todd  is  directed  to  consult  and  advise  with  the  most  intelli- 
gent and  upright  persons  who  may  fall  in  his  way. 

He  is  directed  to  co-operate  with  the  military  authorities  in 
the  defense  of  the  country  against  hostile  British  and  Indians. 

The  county-lieutenant  is  to  have  charge  of  militia,  which  can 
be  placed  under  the  control  of  the  military  only  at  the  command 
of  the  civil  authority.  He  is  to  inculcate  in  the  people  on  all 
occasions  the  value  of  liberty  and  the  difference  between  the 
state  of  free  citizens  of  this  commonwealth  and  that  of  slavery. 

He  is  to  remove  the  grievances  that  obstruct  the  happiness 
and  prosperity  of  that  country. 

He  is  to  discountenance  and  punish  every  attempt  to  violate 
the  property  of  the  Indians,  particularly  their  lands. 

He  must  cultivate  the  most  friendly  relations  with  the  Spanish 
commandant  at  St.  Louis. 

The  businesses  given  into  your  "charge  are  singular  in  their 
nature,  and  weighty  in  their  consequences,  to  the  people  imme- 
diately concerned,  and  to  the  whole  state.  They  require  the  full- 
est exertion  of  ability  and  unwearied  diligence." 

Todd  is  ordered  to  do  what  he  can  to  restore  to  the  wife  of 
Rocheblave  the  property  of  which  she  had  been  deprived  at  the 
surrender  of  Kaskaskia. 

To  summarize:  "Conciliation  of  the  newly-enfranchised  in- 
habitants, selection  of  competent  advisers,  defense  against  for- 
eign and  native  enemies,  subordination  of  the  military  to  the 
civil  arm  of  the  government,  establishment  of  republican  insti- 
tutions, administration  of  equal  justice  to  all,  an  alliance  with 
friendly  neighbors,  encouragement  of  trade,  the  unwearied  abil- 
ity, diligence,  and  zeal,  in  behalf  of  his  people" — these  are  the 
high  ideals  held  up  for  the  guidance  of  this  new  guardian  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty  in  a  country  where  the  people  have  been 
used  to  bloodshed,  scalps,  intrigue,  and  tyranny. 

These  instructions  were  written  probably  while  Clark  and 
Todd  were  passing  through  the  severest  tests  as  to  the  final  out- 
come after  the  first  flush  of  victory  on  July  4,  1778.  A  trusted 
courier  we  believe  brought  these  instructions  by  way  of  Pitts- 
burg and  down  the  Ohio  and  delivered  them  to  Todd  while  he 
yet  was  at  Vincennes,  in  the  spring  of  1779.  At  least  Todd  ap- 
peared in  Kaskaskia  in  May,  1779.  On  the  12th  of  that  month 
a  great  concourse  of  French,  soldiers  and  Indians,  gathered  at 
the  door  of  the  church  where  Clark  gave  a  sort  of  eulogy  upon 
the  faithfulness  of  the  people  of  Kaskaskia  and  neighboring  vil- 
lages; and  bespeaking  their  intelligent  participation  in  civil 
affairs  in  a  republican  government  now  about  to  be  established 
in  Illinois  County,  Virginia,  Clark  now  introduced  County  Lieu- 
tenant John  Todd,  Esq.  Mr.  Todd  made  a  short  speech,  giving 
a  brief  outline  of  the  government  which  he  was  to  establish, 
and  pointing  out  to  the  people  their  duties  and  privileges  there- 


198  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

under.  Following  these  formalities  the  citizens  voted  for  judges 
in  true  republican  style.  Nine  judges  were  elected  for  Kas- 
kaskia.  These  judges  were  selected  from  among  the  more  in- 
telligent French  citizens  of  the  village. 

The  second  step  for  Mr.  Todd  was  to  organize  the  militia  in 
the  several  villages  of  his  territory.  We  have  spoken  of  the 
book  in  which  Governor  Patrick  Henry  wrote  out  John  Todd's 
commission  and  instructions.  These  took  up  five  pages  of  the 
book  and  the  following  pages  were  used  by  Todd  in  which  to 
keep  a  record  of  the  orders  and  appointments  of  his  office  so  the 
book  has  come  to  be  known  as  "Todd's  record  book."  On  page  6 
of  the  book  are  the  entries  which  record  the  appointment  of  the 
militia  officers  for  Kaskaskia :  This  list  is  taken  from  Mason's 
"Chapters  from  Illinois  History." 

"Made  out  the  military  commissions  for  the  District  of  Kas- 
kaskia, dated  May  14,  1779 : 

Richard  Winston,  Commandant,  as  Captain. 

Nickolas  Janis,  First  Co.,  Captain. 

Baptiste  Charleville,  1st  Lieutenant. 

Charles  Charleville,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Michael  Godis,  Ensign. 

Joseph  Duplassy,  2d  Captain. 

Nicholas  le  Chanie,  1st  Lieutenant. 

Charles  Danee,  2d  Lieutenant. 

Baptiste  Janis,  Ensign. 

12th  May,  sent  a  Commission  of  Command  of  Prairie  du 
Rocher,  and  Captain  of  the  militia  to  Jean  B.  Barbeau." 

And  then  follows  a  list  of  militia  officials  for  Cahokia. 

"Commissions  dated  14th  May,  1779,  3d  year  of  the  Com- 
monwealth." 

On  pages  7  and  8  of  the  record  book  Mr.  Todd  entered  the 
"List  of  the  Court  as  Kaskaskia,  the  Court  of  Kahokias,  and  the 
Court  of  Vincennes,  as  elected  by  the  people." 

In  many  cases  these  officials  held  two  offices  at  once.  Richard 
Winston  was  not  only  deputy-commandant  at  Kaskaskia,  but 
also  sheriff  of  that  district.  Jean  B.  Barbeau  was  deputy- 
commandant  at  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  judge  of  the  court  at  the 
same  time. 

Having  now  attended  to  the  courts  and  the  militia,  Mr.  Todd 
turned  his  attention  to  the  commercial  interests  of  the  new  coun- 
try. On  Page  11  of  the  record  book  is  an  account  of  the  issue 
of  a  trader's  license  to  Richard  McCarthy,  Gentleman.  This 
permit  was  very  generous  for  it  gave  the  grantee  the  right  to 
trade  anywhere  in  the  Commonwealth.  It  bears  date  of  June 
5,  1779. 

Todd  next  gives  attention  to  the  financial  situation.  On  the 
11th  of  June,  1779,  he  addressed  a  communication  to  the  Court 
of  Kaskaskia  which  is  found  on  page  12  of  the  record  book, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  199 

which  shows  that  he  had  great  faith  in  his  government.  He 
says  that  the  only  way  to  carry  on  the  war  (the  Revolutionary 
war)  is  to  support  the  bills  of  credit  which  the  government  has 
emitted.  He  says:  "There  is  no  friend  to  American  Inde- 
pendence, who  has  any  judgment,  but  expects  to  see  it  (the 
paper  money)  equal  to  gold  and  silver,  but  that  merely  from  its 
uncommon  quantity,  and  in  proportion  to  it  arises  the  complaint 
of  its  want  of  credit."  There  can  hardly  be  any  explanation  as 
to  this  enthusiasm,  as  within  one  year  from  the  date  of  this 
address  to  the  Kaskaskia  Court,  the  Continental  (paper)  dollar 
was  worth  but  two  cents  in  gold  and  was  never  more  valuable. 
Then  follows  a  sort  of  land-bank  system  which  provided  that 
paper  money  issued  in  the  County  of  Illinois  should  rest  for 
its  ultimate  redemption  on  the  value  of  land,  21,000  acres  near 
Cahokia  being  proposed  to  be  set  aside  for  such  redemption. 

From  this  land-bank  discussion,  Mr.  Todd  passes  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  land  grants  which  have  been  made  in  this 
region  as  well  as  to  consider  the  conditions  which  might  arise 
when  other  grants  should  be  made.  On  June  15th,  1779,  Colonel 
Todd  issued  a  proclamation  in  which  he  forbade  the  further 
settling  of  the  flat  lands  adjacent  to  the  rivers  Mississippi,  Ohio, 
Illinois,  and  Wabash  until  further  notice.  And  in  order  to 
establish  the  titles  to  lands  claimed  from  grants  previously 
made  by  the  governments  in  control  of  this  region,  it  was  ordered 
that  each  inhabitant  who  claimed  lands  should  present  for  rec- 
ord the  source  of  his  present  title.  If  his  claim  was  derived 
direct  from  those  in  authority,  he  should  present  date,  amount, 
and  source  of  grant.  If  an  individual  received  his  title  from 
another  person,  and  he  from  another,  and  so  on,  then  there  must 
be  established  record  of  all  these  transfers.  "The  number  of 
adventurers  who  will  shortly  overrun  this  country,  renders  the 
above  method  necessary,  as  well  as  to  guard  against  trespassers 
which  will  probably  be  committed  on  lands  not  of  record. 
Given  under  my  hand  and  seal,  at  Kaskaskia,  the  15th  of  June, 
in  the  third  year  of  the  Commonwealth,  1779. 

"JOHN  TODD,  JR." 

Colonel  Todd  intimates  in  his  proclamation  that  he  is  look- 
ing for  the  coming  of  large  numbers  of  settlers  from  the  older 
states  and  he  wishes  to  have  the  question  of  land  claims  well  in 
hand  before  the  arrival  of  these  adventurers.  It  turned  out  that 
Colonel  Todd  accurately  forecasted  the  actual  conditions  in  the 
years  1779,  1780.  Butler's  History  of  Kentucky  says  that  as 
many  as  three  hundred  large  families  came  down  the  Ohio  and 
landed  at  the  Falls,  the  present  site  of  Louisville  in  the  spring  of 
1780,  and  from  there  spread  out  through  the  present  State  of 
Kentucky. 

Governor  Reynolds  in  his  Pioneer  History  of  Illinois  reports 
the  coming  to  Illinois  of  James  Moore,  Shadrach  Bond,  Robert 


200  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Kidd,  Larken  Rutherford,  and  James  Garrison,  in  the  year  1781. 
They  brought  their  wives  and  children  with  them  and  they  came 
unarmed.  They  came  over  the  Alleghanies  and  down  the  Ohio 
thence  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia.  From  here,  Moore  and 
Rutherford  followed  the  trail  from  Kaskaskia  along  the  foot 
of  the  bluffs,  to  Prairie  du  Rocher.  Just  north  of  this  village 
the  trail  went  up  a  canyon  and  reached  the  uplands.  Thence 
north  through  a  hilly  region  and  then  came  out  into  an  open 
country  about  five  miles  southeast  of  New  Design.  The  trail 
wound  northward  to  Bellefontaine,  a  village  laid  out  by  James 
Moore.  There  was  a  very  fine  spring  here  and  it  became  a 
center  for  settlers.  This  was  in  1781.  A  fort  was  built  at  Belle- 
fontaine, and  two  years  later,  1783,  a  fort  was  built  just  north  of 
Bellefontaine  but  below  the  bluffs  in  what  was  called  the  Grand 
Ruisseau.  The  Village  of  Bellefontaine  eventually  declined  and 
Waterloo,  Monroe  County,  grew  up  in  its  stead. 

Shadrach  Bond,  Robert  Kidd,  and  James  Garrison  settled  on 
the  alluvial  lands  in  what  is  now  Monroe  County  just  below 
the  mouth  of  Fountain  Creek.  Because  these  Americans  settled 
in  the  bottom  lands,  this  alluvial  land  was  named  the  American 
Bottom.  The  American  Bottom  extends  from  Alton  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles,  and  is 
five  or  six  miles  wide. 

Todd's  Departure 

Just  when  Todd  left  Illinois  is  not  known.  On  August  18,  1779, 
he  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Virginia  as  follows:  "I  expected 
to  have  been  prepared  to  present  to  your  excellency  some  amend- 
ments upon  the  form  of  government  of  Illinois,  but  the  present 
will  be  attended  with  no  great  inconvenience  till  the  spring  ses- 
sion, when  I  beg  your  permission  to  attend  and  get  a  discharge 
from  an  office  with  an  unwholesome  air,  a  distance  from  my 
connections,  a  language  not  familiar  to  me,  and  an  impossibility 
of  procuring  many  of  the  conveniences  of  life  suitable ;  all  tend 
to  render  uncomfortable."  This  letter  did  not  reach  the  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia.  On  December  23,  1779,  Todd  was  at  the 
Falls  of  the  Ohio  and  wrote  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  then  governor 
of  Virginia,  stating  his  desire  and  intention  of  resigning. 

It  is  certain  that  there  was  great  dissatisfaction  in  the  Illi- 
nois Country  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  toward  the  Ameri- 
can soldiers  who  were  stationed  at  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia,  and 
perhaps  at  Cahokia.  Nor  were  the  people  backward  about 
expressing  their  dissatisfaction  with  the  rule  of  Mr.  Todd.  Bog- 
gess  in  his  "The  Settlement  of  Illinois,"  says:  "Colonel  Todd's 
position  was  difficult  because  of  the  discontent  prevailing  among 
both  the  French  and  the  Americans  in  Illinois.  His  salary  was 
so  small  that  he  feared  that  he  must  sell  his  property  in  Ken- 
tucky to  support  himself  while  in  public  service.    He  regarded 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  201 

Kentucky  as  a  much  better  place  than  Illinois  for  the  ambitious 
man,  the  retired  farmer,  or  the  young  merchant." 

Without  doubt  Todd  left  Illinois  not  later  than  1780.  Things 
were  in  a  bad  way.  The  finances  were  in  a  wretched  condition, 
food  was  scarce,  and  of  course  high  priced.  The  Spanish  inter- 
fered with  the  Illinois  people  as  the  latter  were  attempting  to 
market  their  produce  in  New  Orleans.  The  commanders  of 
the  Virginia  troops  in  the  French  villages  were  obliged  to  take 
by  force  food  for  the  soldiers.  The  enforcement  of  any  sort 
of  law  was  at  the  lowest  ebb. 

The  "record  book'  shows  that  Todd  left  Kaskaskia  about  June, 

1779,  probably  temporarily  for  he  writes  an  order  in  the  "record 
book"  turning  the  command  of  the  country  over  to  the  deputy- 
commandant,  Richard  Winston,  and  directed  him  to  confer  with 
the  court  and  if  Colonel  Clark  needed  any  thing  and  the  people 
were  not  willing  to  furnish  it,  that  he  should,  with  the  consent 
of  the  court,  force  the  people  to  furnish  supplies  and  that  he 
should  have  two  men  value  the  supplies  under  oath.  This  order 
is  dated  June  15,  1779.  It  has  been  thought  that  this  absence 
from  Kaskaskia  was  only  temporary  as  the  "record  book"  shows 
that  he  issued  an  order  on  June  27th,  that  the  citizens  holding 
continental  issues  of  certain  dates  must  deposit  their  money 
with  some  designated  official  or  the  issue  would  not  be  redeemed. 

Just  prior  to  this  as  the  record  shows  he  ordered  the  Kas- 
kaskia Court  to  hold  a  session  in  Kaskaskia  on  Saturday,  July 
the  21st,  1779.  This  order  is  directed  "To  Gabriel  Cerre,  etc., 
Esq.    Judges  of  the  Court  for  the  District  of  Kaskaskia." 

On  August  9,  he  wrote  a  very  cordial  letter  to  the  Spanish 
commandant  at  St.  Genevieve  and  also  one  to  the  commandant 
at  St.  Louis  offering  help  in  case  they  were  attacked  by  the 
British.  In  these  letters  he  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Colonel  Clark  is  still  at  Vincennes. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1779,  he  condemned  a  vacant  lot  and 
proclaimed  it  the  property  of  the  commonwealth.  A  partial 
record  of  a  grant  of  land  to  Colonel  Montgomery  is  the  last 
entry  in  the  book.  There  is  no  date.  Todd  took  an  interest  in 
Kentucky  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  Virginia  Legislature  in 

1780.  He  married  while  in  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  and  returned 
in  the  early  part  of  1781  with  his  wife  to  Lexington,  Kentucky. 
Todd  is  given  credit  for  securing  state  aid  from  Virginia  for  the 
founding  of  Transylvania  University  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
the  first  college  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Thomas  Jefferson, 
governor  of  Virginia  appointed  Todd  Colonel  of  a  Kentucky  regi- 
ment in  December,  1781.  In  August,  1782,  he  assisted  in  the 
defense  of  Lexington  against  an  attack  of  Indians.  They  were 
driven  off  and  pursued  to  Blue  Lick  Springs  where  a  severe 
engagement  took  place  in  which  Todd  was  killed. 

There  are  some  entries  in  the  record  book  which  are  not  in 


202  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Todd's  handwriting.  On  page  28  is  an  oath  of  allegiance  admin- 
istered to  one  James  Moore,  at  Kaskaskia,  on  July  10,  1782. 
In  this  oath  James  Moore  renounces  all  fidelity  to  King  George 
the  Third,  his  kin  and  successors,  and  agrees  to  make  known  to 
some  justice  of  the  peace  all  treasonable  or  traitorous  conspira- 
cies against  the  United  States  which  may  come  to  his  knowledge. 
This  is  the  same  James  Moore  that  founded  Bellefontaine.  He 
was  intimately  associated  with  Gabriel  Cerre  in  the  fur-trad- 
ing business  in  Tennessee  with  headquarters  at  French  Licks 
afterwards  the  City  of  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Before  leaving  the  story  of  John  Todd  we  probably  ought  to 
call  attention  to  the  customs  of  the  times  in  legal  matters.  In 
the  commission  issued  to  John  Todd  and  the  instructions  which 
followed,  the  county-lieutenant  was  given  power  to  pardon  all 
offenses,  except  murder  or  treason.  On  June  13,  1779,  he  issued 
an  order  to  Richard  Winston  to  carry  out  a  very  savage  and 
cruel  provision  of  the  law  of  that  time.    It  reads  as  follows : 

"Illinois,  to  wit:  To  Richard  Winston,  Esq.,  Sheriff  in  chief 
of  the  District  of  Kaskaskia. 

"Negro  Manuel,  a  Slave,  in  your  custody,  is  condemned  by 
the  Court  of  Kaskaskia,  after  having  made  honorable  Fine 
(Fine — restitution?)  at  the  door  of  the  Church,  to  be  chained 
to  a  post  at  the  Water  Side,  and  there  be  burnt  alive  and  his 
ashes  scattered,  as  appears  to  me  of  Record.  This  sentence 
you  are  hereby  required  to  put  in  execution  on  Tuesday  next 
at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  this  shall  be  your  warrant. 
Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  at  Kaskaskia  the  13th  day  of  June 
in  the  third  year  of  the  Commonwealth." 

Now  the  crime  for  which  Negro  Manuel  was  burned  to  death, 
chained  to  a  stake,  was  probably  neither  murder  nor  treason. 
It  would  appear  therefore  that  the  county-lieutenant  could  easily 
have  pardoned  the  negro  for  his  crime.  The  crime  according  to 
the  best  interpretation  was  voudouism  or  as  we  know  it,  witch- 
craft. Witchcraft  was  practiced  by  whites,  voudouism  by 
American  Negroes  and  Creoles.  Usually  the  punishment  was 
burning  at  the  stake.  This  puts  the  burning  of  Manuel  at  Kas- 
kaskia, the  Quakers  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  and  Joan  of  Arc 
at  Rouen  all  in  the  same  class. 

The  Virginia  troops  were  scattered  over  the  Illinois  Country 
and  were  creatures  of  bitter  hatred  on  the  part  of  the  French 
inhabitants.  There  were  not  enough  in  any  one  place  to  act 
defensively  and  their  support  was  a  serious  problem.  It  was 
therefore  deemed  advisable  to  concentrate  them  at  some  point 
which  they  would  be  of  service  in  case  of  need.  It  was  first 
thought  best  to  build  a  fort  some  where  about  Mound  City  in 
Pulaski  County,  Illinois,  but  it  was  observed  that  Continental 
money  was  valueless  in  Illinois  but  current  in  Kentucky,  the 
decision  of  Virginia  was  for  the  south  side  of  the  Ohio.    The  fort 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  203 

was  built  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  some  seven  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  just  near  but  below  the  Town  of 
Wycliff,  Kentucky.  In  those  days  it  was  thought  advisable  and 
really  necessary  to  foster  a  large  community  of  civil  life  about 
a  fort.  It  was  in  those  days  of  poor  transportation  facilities, 
the  best  way  to  provide  food  for  the  garrison.  Accordingly 
grants  of  land  in  liberal  quantities  were  made  to  settlers,  and 
when  Fort  Jefferson  was  located  it  was  planned  to  induce  scores 
of  families  to  settle  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort. 

Illinois  Abandoned 

In  the  summer  of  1780,  the  troops  from  all  the  posts  in  the 
Illinois  Country  were  withdrawn  and  concentrated  at  Fort  Jef- 
ferson. Sad  stories  are  told  of  the  deplorable  condition  of  these 
Virginia  troops  in  the  summer  of  1780.  When  the  order  reached 
Cahokia  for  all  troops  to  report  at  Fort  Jefferson  the  captain 
of  the  company,  McCarty,  found  few  of  his  men  able  to  make 
the  trip.  Corn  without  grease  or  salt  was  the  only  food.  Deaths 
were  frequent.  The  garrison  embarked  in  five  boats,  all  of 
which  were  more  or  less  unseaworthy.  On  the  way  down  the 
river  several  of  the  number  were  left  at  villages  because  they 
could  not  proceed.  This  order  to  concentrate  the  Illinois  troops 
at  Fort  Jefferson  stripped  Illinois  of  Virginia  troops  except  a 
few  who  were  left  at  Kaskaskia,  since  it  was  the  capital  of  the 
Northwest.  The  garrison  at  Fort  Jefferson  remained  till  the 
summer  of  1781,  June  8,  when  it  was  ordered  to  the  Falls  of  the 
Ohio,  where  it  seemed  they  were  little  better  off  than  they  were 
in  the  Illinois  Country. 

When  the  County  of  Illinois  was  created  in  1778,  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  passed  "An  Act  for  establishing  the  County 
of  Illinois  and  for  the  more  effectual  protection  and  defense 
thereof."  It  appears  that  this  act  was  not  a  permanent  act  but 
one  with  time  limitations.  The  act  would  expire  at  the  end  of 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  May,  1780.  A  renewal  act 
was  therefore  passed  "for  one  year  after  the  passing  of  this  act, 
and  from  thence  to  the  end  of  the  next  session  of  Assembly." 
An  effort  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1781  to  renew  the  act  for 
another  period  of  one  year,  but  after  a  discussion  in  committee 
of  the  whole,  the  measure  was  put  upon  its  passage  and  failed. 
The  County  of  Illinois,  Virginia,  ceased  to  exist  by  expiration 
of  the  period  designated  in  its  creation,  January  5th,  1782. 

Thus  we  take  our  leave  of  the  County  of  Illinois,  Virginia ;  of 
Col.  John  Todd,  county  lieutenant;  of  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark, 
the  man  who  saved  to  the  American  cause  a  vast  domain  north 
and  west  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  likewise  of  law,  order,  and 
progress  in  the  Illinois  Country. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
A  PERIOD  OF  ANARCHY 

Decline  —  Soldiers  —  Spaniards    in    Illinois  —  Diplomacy 
— Mustered  Out — Kaskaskia  Court 

For  a  period  of  ten  years  1780-1790  the  territory  now  within 
the  limits  of  Illinois  was  without  any  government.  This  period 
was  practically  begun  when  George  Rogers  Clark  left  Illinois 
and  began  the  construction  of  Fort  Jefferson.  Its  beginning 
is  also  marked  by  the  departure  of  John  Todd  for  the  more 
agreeable  political,  social,  and  economic  conditions  of  Kentucky. 
With  the  going  of  these  two  men  went  also  all  restraints  of  the 
passions  and  practices  of  an  ignorant,  undisciplined,  and  indolent 
people.  Even  with  both  of  these  vigorous  men  giving  all  their 
time  to  the  direction  of  the  ongoing  of  the  political  and  indus- 
trial life  there  was  little  progress.  The  truth  is  that  the  five  or 
six  French  villages  from  Kaskaskia  to  Cahokia  were  never  in  so 
flourishing  a  condition  as  they  were  at  the  close  of  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  Pittman.  already  quoted  in  this  volume,  says 
there  were  more  than  two  thousand  white  persons  in  Illinois 
when  he  visited  the  country  in  1766,  three  years  after  it  was 
known  that  the  land  had  been  ceded  to  the  English.  From 
the  day  it  was  known  the  English  were  to  control  the  land  to 
the  coming  of  Todd  as  civil  administrator,  there  was  a  gradual 
decline  in  all  forms  of  industry,  in  standards  of  civil  and 
social  life,  in  population  and  in  religious  interests.  Marriage 
contracts  were  consummated  by  the  inhabitants  without  the  aid 
of  the  priests.  Church  attendance  had  declined,  and  the  gen- 
eral tone  of  society  was  at  a  low  ebb. 

Decline 

In  the  early  days  of  British  control  in  the  West  there  probably 
were  more  negroes  than  whites  in  Illinois.  There  were  probably 
as  many  Indians  as  both  blacks  and  whites.  It  was  the  opinion 
of  Pittman  in  1766  that  the  Indian  had  sunk  to  a  very  low  level 
as  compared  to  the  lofty  assumptions  of  the  earlier  days.  The 
influence  of  the  French  upon  the  Indians  was  weakening  and 
degrading.  The  two  races  had  intermarried  so  that  many  fami- 
lies were  "neither  fish  nor  fowl."  The  life  the  people  lived  was 
an  easy  life.  There  was  little  culture  except  among  a  few  fami- 
lies. Less  than  a  year  ago  the  author  spent  a  day  in  "Old  Kas- 
kaskia," that  is  in  the  vicinity.    In  one  home  he  found  a  descend- 

204 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  205 

• 

ant  of  the  Pierre  Menard  family.  The  man  was  coarse  but  kind. 
He  opened  his  home  to  the  inspection  of  the  furniture  which 
the  Menard  heirs  have  saved  from  the  old  Pierre  Menard  man- 
sion and  he  is  sure  that  the  collector  of  old  furniture  would  con- 
sider it  a  valuable  collection.  This  furniture  was  brought  from 
France  and  if  the  Menard  mansion  were  provided  with  this 
grade  of  furniture  throughout,  LaFayette  certainly  thought  him- 
self in  the  Paris  of  the  West  when  he  was  entertained  in  this 
home. 

The  lieutenant  commandant  was  authorized  by  the  "Act  creat- 
ing the  County  of  Illinois"  to  "appoint  and  commission  as  many 
deputy  commandants,  militia  officers,  and  commissaries  as  he 
shall  think  proper."  The  act  provided  that  these  appointments 
should  hold  during  pleasure.  In  the  absence  of  Todd  from  the 
capital,  the  deputy  assumed  charge  and  exercised  authority. 
When  Todd  left  Illinois  in  late  1779  or  early  1780,  Richard  Win- 
ston took  charge  and  exercised  authority.  From  the  time 
Winston  left  till  the  coming  of  St.  Clair  as  governor  of  the  North- 
west Territory,  Demunbrunt  was  "commandant  of  the  village  of 
Kaskaskia  and  its  dependencies,"  according  to  his  own  signature. 
Richard  Winston  was  made  "commander  of  Kaskia"  on  June 
15,  1779,  while  John  Todd  was  absent  from  the  City  of  Kas- 
kaskia. 

It  is  probable  that  Demunbrunt  served  as  deputy-lieutenant 
at  such  times  as  Winston  was  otherwise  engaged. 

Soldiers 

There  was  a  very  great  amount  of  dissatisfaction  with  the 
rule  of  the  English.  As  long  as  there  were  soldiers  stationed  in 
the  French  villages,  they  were  in  conflict  with  the  inhabitants. 
Usually  the  soldiers  were  billeted  on  the  people  and  this  was  a 
cause  of  discontent.  The  officers  in  charge  of  the  troops  were 
obliged  to  commandeer  food,  horses  and  other  things  of  value. 
The  soldiers  too  were  the  cause  of  complaint  for  they  were  poorly 
fed  and  badly  clothed.  The  officers  who  bought  food  and  cloth- 
ing of  the  inhabitants  usually  paid  for  it  with  orders  drawn 
on  superior  officers  or  on  the  treasury  of  Virginia.  These  bills 
would  be  accepted  in  payment  but  when  they  were  sent  to  the 
people  on  whom  they  were  drawn,  payment  would  be  refused 
and  the  drafts  be  returned  to  the  maker. 

Gabriel  Cerre  had  been  very  willing  to  sell  goods  to  Clark's 
soldiers  and  when  the  drafts  given  in  payment  were  protested 
they  came  back  to  Mr.  Cerre  and  he  complained  bitterly  to  Col- 
onel Clark  about  the  inconvenience  and  loss  it  meant  to  him.  An- 
other cause  of  severe  complaint  arose  from  the  fact  that  the 
village  of  Kaskaskia  was  forced  to  provide  food  for  the  soldiers 
but  in  addition  the  village  must  also  feed  the  American  settlers 
who  had  lately  arrived  together  with  slaves.    "When  the  change 


206  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  government  had  failed  to  satisfy  the  French  and  the  presence 
of  the  soldiers  had  led  to  disorder  and  tyranny,  there  began  a 
steady  stream  of  emigration  to  the  Spanish  bank  which  ended 
in  almost  depopulating  some  of  the  villages  in  the  American 
Bottom." 

While  Colonel  Clark  was  working  on  Fort  Jefferson,  just  be- 
low the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  on  the  Kentucky  side,  he  gave  orders 
for  the  final  movement  of  all  the  troops  in  the  Illinois  villages 
to  concentrate  at  the  New  fort.  Before  Colonel  Montgomery 
could  carry  out  the  order,  word  came  that  the  British  were 
moving  from  both  north  and  south  to  crush  the  Spanish  villages 
along  the  Mississippi  to  prevent  them  from  aiding  the  Americans, 
and  incidentally  to  deal  the  Americans  such  a  blow  that  they 
would  give  no  further  trouble  in  the  west.  Colonel  DeGalva 
in  command  of  the  Spanish  forces  at  New  Orleans  successfully 
prevented  the  British  forces  in  their  march  under  Gen.  Camp- 
bell from  Pensacola  north.  The  British  forces  about  the  lakes 
were  organized  to  march  from  Mackinac  south  and  attack  St. 
Louis  and  the  Spanish  and  American  settlements  along  the 
Mississippi  River.  Word  was  sent  Colonel  Clark  at  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio  who  hastily  pushed  on  to  the  Illinois  country.  He 
reached  Cahokia  only  a  day  or  so  before  the  British  from  the 
north  arrived.  Colonel  Montgomery  had  gathered  the  Illinois 
soldiers  and  the  British  were  repulsed.  They  were  also  beaten 
off  at  St.  Louis  by  the  Spanish  forces  at  that  place.  The  motley 
band  of  Red  Coats,  Indians,  and  Canadians  retreated  north  fol- 
lowed by  Colonel  Montgomery  in  hot  pursuit.  Illinois  was  thus 
saved  from  the  control  of  the  British. 

Another  interesting  chapter  in  this  period  of  Anarchy  was  an 
expedition  led  by  De  la  Balme,  a  Frenchman  who  had  recently 
come  to  this  country  to  offer  his  sword  for  the  independence  of 
the  United  States.  His  services  were  accepted  by  congress,  and 
after  a  short  time  spent  in  the  east,  he  appeared  in  the  Illinois 
country  apparently  with  the  consent  of  both  Washington  and 
La  Fayette.  He  was  shunned  by  the  Virginia  troops  and  the 
Spanish  as  well.  He  issued  an  address  which  was  calculated  to 
attach  the  Indians  to  his  plans.  A  company  was  formed  of  from 
twenty  to  fifty  French  citizens  mostly  from  Cahokia. 

The  expedition  was  enlarged  at  Vincennes  and  marched  north 
and  successfully  attacked  a  fort  on  the  Maumee  River.  De  la 
Balme  was  afterward  killed  in  a  defensive  action.  The  presence 
of  a  Frenchman  in  the  Illinois  country  greatly  stirred  the  French 
villages  against  the  Virginia  troops  as  well  as  against  the  Amer- 
ican people  generally.  In  his  address  which  he  delivered  before 
his  departure  for  Detroit  De  la  Balme  says:  "It  is  well  that 
you  know  that  the  troops  of  the  State  of  Virginia  have  come 
here  against  the  wish  of  the  other  states  of  America, — and  the 
different  deputies  who  compose  the  congress  are  ignorant  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  207 

revolting  proceedings  and  acts  of  violence,  which  the  troops 
are  practicing  towards  you."  Nothing  was  more  potent  in 
spreading  anarchy  in  the  Illinois  country  than  such  a  speech. 

Spaniards  in  Illinois 

The  march  of  a  Spanish  army  across  Illinois  from  East  St. 
Louis  to  the  south  end  of  Lake  Michigan  in  1780,  appears  on 
the  face  of  it  interesting,  but  not  specially  important.  But 
the  more  fully  we  read  of  the  many  international  complications 
in  the  days  of  the  American  Revolutionary  war  the  more  we  see 
how  fortunate  the  American  states  were  to  have  at  the  council 
table  during  the  peace  negotiations  such  powerful  characters 
as  Benjamin  Franklin,  John  Jay,  and  John  Adams.  But  the 
diplomacy  of  these  men  will  be  better  understood  after  we  have 
retold  a  very  interesting  story  of  "The  March  of  the  Spaniards 
Across  Illinois." 

We  have  seen  that  early  in  1780  the  British  from  about 
Mackinac  sent  a  force  against  the  Spanish  town  of  St.  Louis  as 
well  as  against  the  American  town  of  Cahokia.  This  expedition 
was  defeated  in  battle  at  both  St.  Louis  and  Cahokia.  Appar- 
ently as  a  matter  of  revenge,  the  Spanish  authorities  of  St.  Louis 
fitted  out  an  expedition  for  the  capture  of  Fort  St.  Joseph  located 
on  the  lower  course  of  the  St.  Joseph  River  in  Southwestern 
Michigan.  This  fort  seemed  to  be  the  center  of  British  and  In- 
dian interests  west  of  Detroit  in  1763.  This  post  had  suffered 
siege,  capture,  and  massacre  at  the  hands  of  Pontiac.    At  that 

time  there  were  only  Ensign  S and  fourteen  British 

soldiers  in  the  garrison.  Eleven  of  the  men  were  massacred, 
the  ensign  and  three  men  were  taken  as  prisoners  and  marched 
toward  Detroit.  A  French  trader  at  the  fort  at  the  time  of 
Pontiac's  attack  gave  a  full  account  of  the  fall  of  the  fort.  This 
Frenchman's  name  was  M.  Louison  Chevalie.  With  the  Spanish 
expedition  which  marched  across  Illinois  to  Fort  St.  Joseph  in 
the  winter  of  1780-81  was  one  Don  Louis  Chevalier,  interpreter, 
who  is  supposed  to  be  the  same  man  who  was  the  French  trader 
at  Fort  St.  Joseph  in  1763. 

The  Spanish  expedition  about  which  we  are  writing  was  made 
up  of  sixty-five  white  soldiers  about  half  of  which  were  French 
inhabitants  from  Cahokia,  a  band  of  sixty-five  Indians  besides 
guides,  etc.  They  chose  not  the  most  direct  route  from  St.  Louis 
to  Fort  St.  Joseph;  that  would  have  been  across  the  Grand 
Prairie,  which  in  January,  1781,  would  have  been  found  without 
food,  shelter  or  water.  But  they  chose  to  stay  close  to  the  rivers 
and  the  sheltered  uplands  to  their  destination.  The  commander 
of  this  expedition  of  the  Spaniards  was  Don  Eugenio  Pourre. 
Second  in  command  was  Don  Carlos  Tayon. 

They  left  the  village  of  St.  Louis  on  January  2,  1781,  for  an 


208  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

objective  four  hundred  miles  away.  Each  one  carried  his  own 
provisions  besides  his  weapons.  The  march  must  be  made 
through  dangerous  and  hostile  tribes  of  Indians  who  were  to 
be  won  to  the  side  of  the  Spaniards  by  generous  gifts  and  Spanish 
diplomacy.  There  were  two  routes  one  of  which  the  expedition 
must  have  taken.  One  up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  thence 
up  the  Kankakee  and  down  the  St.  Joseph  River.  The  other  east 
over  the  Vincennes  trail,  thence  up  the  Wabash  and  the  Tippe- 
canoe River  and  thence  to  South  Bend  and  to  the  St.  Joseph  River 
and  on  to  the  fort. 

The  few  soldiers  and  English  traders  who  were  in  the  fort 
were  easily  and  quickly  silenced.  They  probably  knew  they  had 
been  left  in  the  lurch  by  the  Indians  upon  whom  they  had  relied 
for  information  and  protection.  The  British  flag  was  hauled 
down  and  the  banner  of  Spain  flung  to  the  breeze.  Mr.  Mason 
in  his  Chapters  from  Illinois  History  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  this  post  had  been  handed  about  by  sovereigns  until 
the  people  in  that  vicinity  had  become  used  to  the  capture  and 
the  surrender  of  the  fort  as  the  very  natural  thing  to  expect. 
La  Salle's  banner  may  have  first  floated  there  as  he  was  on  his 
way  down  the  Mississippi ;  it  then  fell  to  the  governor  of  Canada, 
who  was  La  Salle's  bitter  foe ;  the  English  next  came  and  claimed 
it;  next  the  banner  of  Pontiac  the  conspirator;  then  the  English 
again,  and  now  over  the  ramparts  floated  the  banner  of  Spain. 
The  story  is  told  that  in  1804  the  commissioners  of  the  United 
States  seeking  a  favorable  place  to  build  a  fort  at  the  south  end 
of  Lake  Michigan  selected  the  site  of  the  old  St.  Joseph  fort  as 
a  suitable  place  for  a  more  permanent  structure.  But  the  In- 
dians were  opposed  to  the  plan  of  having  a  fort  there  because 
the  land  had  not  yet  been  ceded  to  the  government.  The  com- 
missioners proceeded  to  the  west  side  and  there  erected  old  Fort 
Dearborn.  About  the  site  grew  up  a  flourishing  village  which 
in  due  course  of  time  came  to  be  a  town,  then  a  city,  and  now 
the  greatest  inland  metropolis  of  the  world. 

Captain  Don  Eugenio  Pourre  easily  transferred  this  fort  to 
the  Spanish  King  and  announced  that  all  the  Illinois  country 
had  become  the  possession  of  the  crown  of  Spain.  The  British 
flag,  which  the  Spanish  displaced  with  the  Spanish  banner,  was 
brought  back  to  St.  Louis  and  delivered  to  the  commandant  as 
evidence  that  the  expedition  had  been  successful. 

There  comes  now  a  serious  question.  What  was  the  real  pur- 
pose of  this  expedition?  If  this  expedition  had  been  one  of 
revenge  for  the  attack  upon  St.  Louis  and  Cahokia  the  previous 
year,  1780,  it  should  have  been  directed  against  Mackinac  and 
not  against  St.  Joseph.  If  it  was  for  the  sake  of  loot  it  can 
be  said  that  the  disposition  of  the  valuable  material  found  in 
the  fort  would  disprove  any  such  assumption,  for  the  supplies  of 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  209 

all  sorts  were  given  to  the  Indians  or  burned  on  the  spot.     No 
things  of  value  were  brought  away  by  the  soldiers. 

Now  the  only  logical  explanation  of  the  expedition  is  that  it 
was  undertaken  at  the  command  of  the  Spanish  Court.  This 
may  be  better  understood  when  we  remember  that  France  en- 
tered into  a  treaty  of  alliance  with  the  United  States  on  the  6th 
of  February,  1778.  At  that  time  Spain  was  an  ally  of  France 
but  while  she  was  sympathetic  with  the  United  States  she  neither 
acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  United  States  nor  became 
involved  in  war  with  Great  Britain,  for  the  new  premier  of  Spain 
believed  it  wholly  unpolitic  for  Spain  to  be  assisting  rebellious 
colonies  in  America.  However,  Spain  was  ready  to  do  what  she 
could  to  distress  her  colonizing  rival,  England.  Helping  at  least 
directly  to  plant  an  independent  nation — a  republic — in  the  New 
World  would  be  a  bad  example  for  her  own  colonies.  However, 
in  June,  1779,  Spain  joined  France  in  war  on  the  British  govern- 
ment. Steps  were  immediately  taken  to  regain  the  territory  she 
lost  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  East  and  West  Florida. 
Thousands  of  troops  were  sent  to  the  West  Indies  and  plans  laid 
for  the  disposing  of  England  about  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Mobile 
and  Pensacola  were  captured  and  held,  in  March  and  May.  And 
in  the  same  summer  the  Spanish  forces  with  the  help  of  Col. 
George  Rogers  Clark  were  able  to  drive  off  an  attacking  party 
of  British  at  St.  Louis  and  Cahokia,  as  has  been  told  in  the  early 
part  of  this  chapter.  The  expedition  to  St.  Joseph  was  under- 
taken in  January,  1781 ;  it  was  successful  and  the  Spanish  officer 
in  charge  proclaimed  all  the  Illinois  country  the  territory  of  his 
king. 

Diplomacy 

The  negotiations  looking  toward  peace  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain  began  in  the  winter  and  spring  of 
1781-82.  English  diplomats  appeared  at  The  Hague  and  in  Paris 
to  discover  upon  what  terms  a  cessation  of  hostilities  might  be 
proclaimed.  John  Adams  at  The  Hague  and  Franklin  at  Paris 
(with  John  Jay  at  Madrid)  felt  that  the  general  trend  of  public 
events  was  favorable  to  the  United  States  and  refrained  from 
appearing  too  anxious  for  negotiations  looking  toward  an  armis- 
tice. In  the  summer  of  1781  Adams  came  to  Paris  from  The 
Hague  and  Jay  also  came  from  Madrid.  The  British  government 
was  slow  about  authorizing  its  agents  to  present  definite  terms 
of  peace.  "John  Jay,  the  second  commissioner  to  have  confer- 
ences with  Oswald  (the  British  commissioner)  came  of  an  old 
French  family,  long  resident  in  America.  With  the  inherited 
prejudices  of  a  Huguenot,  he  had  no  faith  in  the  rectitude  of  the 
Bourbon  monarchy.  He  believed  that  the  Frenchmen  were  in 
league  with  the  Spaniards  to  confine  the  newly  born  nation  with- 
in the  strictest  geographical  limits  and  in  this  he  was  entirely 


210  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

right"  The  French  monarchy  was  largely  guided  by  the  desires 
of  the  Spanish  government.  In  1780  Spain  had  joined  in  the 
conflict.  She  had  entered  into  no  formal  alliance  with  the  United 
States,  his  object  being  to  drive  the  English  from  the  Floridas 
and  once  more  become  supreme  on  all  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Dreading  the  spread  of  republican  ideas  which  would 
be  the  inevitable  outcome  of  the  colonization  of  the  country  be- 
tween the  Mississippi  and  the  Alleghanies.  Spain  wished  to  see 
the  lands  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River  remain  in  British  posses- 
sion rather  than  have  it  transferred  to  the  United  States" 
(Channing,  History  of  the  United  States,  Vol.  III).  Spain 
would  have  included  the  territory  south  of  the  Ohio  but  there 
were  already  too  many  Americans  in  that  territory — Kentucky 
and  Tennessee. 

France  had  no  scruples  in  desiring  all  the  land  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany although  in  the  treaty  of  Alliance  with  the  United  States 
she  had  agreed  never  to  reclaim  any  land  which  she  had  ceded 
to  England.  To  be  consistent  she  said  the  country  west  of  the 
Alleghanies  had  never  belonged  to  any  one  except  the  Indians. 
Summing  up,  Dr.  Channiny  says:  "Nevertheless  there  seems  to 
have  been  some  kind  of  an  intrigue  set  on  foot  by  French  and 
Spanish  emissaries  for  the  purpose  of  again  adding  these  set- 
tlements (The  Illinois  Country)  and  others  in  the  Great  Lakes 
region  to  Spanish  or  French  possession."  From  this  discussion 
it  seems  clear  that  the  "March  of  the  Spaniards  Across  Illinois" 
had  for  its  object  the  establishment  of  a  claim  to  the  country 
between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Missouri  River — the  Illinois 
Country. 

The  Treaty  of  Peace  signed  at  Paris  1783,  September  3d, 
acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  United  States  and  estab- 
lished the  boundary  line  on  the  west  as  the  middle  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  put  the  Illinois  Country  in  the  United  States.  Let  us 
now  examine  briefly  the  claims  of  certain  states  to  portions  of 
this  land  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi  River. 
Massachusetts  Bay  Company  received  a  charter  from  Charles  the 
First  of  England  in  1629  which  provided  that  the  company 
should  have  all  the  land  between  two  parallels  passing  through 
points  three  miles  north  and  three  miles  south  of  the  headwaters 
respectively  of  the  Merrimac  and  the  Charles  Rivers.  This  char- 
ter was  modified  by  the  courts  in  later  years  and  its  width  cut 
down  considerably.  Connecticut  was  granted  a  charter  in  1662 
by  Charles  II  in  which  the  colony  was  given  all  the  land  lying 
south  of  the  south  line  of  Massachusetts  and  reaching  to  the  lati- 
tude of  New  York,  and  reaching  westward  to  the  South  Sea. 
Virginia  was  given  a  charter  by  James  I  in  1607,  which  was 
modified  in  1609,  with  a  grant  of  land  bounded  by  two  lines  run- 
ning west  and  northwest,  beginning  at  points  respectively  north 
and  south  two  hundred  miles  from  Old  Point  Comfort.    The  col- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  211 

onies  of  North  and  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  also  had  grants  in 
their  charters  of  lands  lying  west  of  the  settled  portions  reach- 
ing to  the*  South  Sea.  All  the  Illinois  country  was  included  in 
the  grant  to  Virginia  in  1609.  Massachusetts'  grant  covered 
the  north  end  of  the  present  State  of  Illinois  and  Connecticut's 
claim  covered  the  territory  just  south  of  the  Massachusetts' 
grant.  Now  as  soon  as  the  war  had  made  some  progress  toward 
winning  independence,  the  states  that  had  grants  to  western 
lands  began  to  renew  their  claims  and  figure  on  making  this 
back  country  pay  the  cost  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Some 
states  had  no  claims  to  land  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  These  were 
New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and 
Maryland.  Pennsylvania  had  a  definite  western  boundary  but 
the  state  reached  well  beyond  the  Alleghanies.  New  York  had 
a  hazy  claim  to  this  back  country  by  reason  of  certain  treaty 
cessions  which  the  Iroquois  Indians  had  made  to  that  colony. 

The  Articles  of  Confederation  had  been  presented  to  Congress 
in  the  summer  of  1776,  but  Congress  had  failed  to  endorse  them 
till  the  fall  of  1777.  They  were  then  sent  to  the  states  for  ratifi- 
cation. The  provision  pertaining  to  ratification  required  that 
the  Articles  must  be  ratified  by  all  the  colonies  before  they 
should  go  into  effect.  The  weaknesses  of  the  Articles  were 
known  by  all  the  colonies,  but  some  ratified  without  attempting 
to  secure  needed  amendments.  Others  had  delayed,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1781  all  the  states  had  ratified  except  Maryland.  Mary- 
land brought  forward  the  doctrine  that  since  some  states  had 
no  western  lands  they  were  at  a  disadvantage  in  the  remunera- 
tion of  their  soldiers.  Virginia  had  already  provided  liberal 
grants  of  land  for  her  soldiers,  and  particularly  those  who  had 
served  with  George  Rogers  Clark.  The  states  with  no  grants  of 
western  lands  argued  that  since  all  had  fought  to  win  independ- 
ence all  should  share  the  spoils  equally.  The  western  lands 
were  regarded  as  legitimate  spoils  of  war  and  properly  subject 
to  equal  distribution  among  the  states  who  participated  in  the 
war. 

Some  of  the  states  were  selfish  and  did  not  wish  to  acknowl- 
edge the  legitimacy  of  the  argument  stated  above.  Finally  all 
of  the  states  had  accepted  the  Articles  except  Maryland,  and  she 
stoutly  refused  to  ratify  the  Articles  of  Confederation  till  the 
states  having  claim  to  western  lands  should  cede  this  "back 
country"  to  the  Congress  to  be  used  for  good  of  all.  The  times 
demanded  a  certain  degree  of  self  sacrifice.  The  situation  was 
critical.  New  York,  whose  claim  was  without  a  substantial 
basis,  agreed  to  cede  her  claim  to  the  Congress  in  1781.  Virginia 
followed  New  York,  and  Maryland,  believing  that  the  other 
states  would  cede  their  lands,  withdrew  her  opposition  to  the 
Articles  and  ratified  them  on  March  1,  1781.  The  next  day, 
March  2d,  when  Congress  met  she  was  under  the  constitution, 


212  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

that  is  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  The  actual  deeds  of 
cession  were  made  in  the  course  of  the  next  few  days.  Several 
of  the  deeds  of  cession  contained  reservations  which*  were  ob- 
served in  the  final  disposal  of  the  lands  by  the  Government.  Con- 
necticut reserved  several  square  miles  in  the  northeast  corner  of 
Ohio,  known  as  the  Connecticut  Reserve  or  the  Western  Reserve. 
Virginia  reserved  lands  for  George  Rogers  Clark  and  his  men 
along  the  Ohio.  The  present  State  of  Kentucky  was  reserved  by 
Virginia.  So  Kentucky  was  never  a  portion  of  the  National  Do- 
main, nor  was  Tennessee. 

Following  the  departure  of  Todd  there  was  bitter  rivalries 
and  destructive  activities.  Richard  Winston  was  supposed  to  be 
Todd's  successor  in  the  civil  administration,  but  it  soon  came  to 
pass  that  each  village  went  its  own  way  and  there  was  unity  in 
only  one  thing — that  was  disorder.  The  paper  money  brought 
by  Clark  into  the  territory  was  next  to  valueless.  There  was 
very  little  coin  in  circulation  and  barter  was  an  unwieldy  way 
of  doing  business.  The  French  merchants  and  men  of  affairs 
who  wished  to  see  the  American  cause  prosper  came  forward 
to  bolster  up  the  tottering  business  end  of  the  Virginia  govern- 
ment in  Illinois.  They  loaned  money,  sold  goods  on  credit  to 
the  officials,  and  took  drafts  on  Virginia  which  were  never  paid. 
There  was  a  final  withdrawal  of  support  by  these  French  men 
of  means  and  the  remnant  of  the  military  government  was 
obliged  to  use  force  to  provide  soldiers  and  officers  with  food 
and  clothing.  The  distressing  times  at  the  close  of  Todd's  and 
Clark's  active  control  of  affairs  are  revealed  in  the  correspond- 
ence carried  on  between  the  officials  who  resided  in  the  territory 
and  those  who  were  in  Virginia  or  other  places. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  several  villages  were  losing  their  in- 
terest in  the  American  cause,  and  in  the  American  people.  The 
Spanish  who  were  near  neighbors  and  the  British  who  were  in 
Canada  were  constantly  scattering  discontent  among  the  French 
habitants,  and  the  poor  people  were  constantly  harrassed  by  de- 
mands upon  them  from  contending  sources.  George  Rogers  Clark 
wrote  a  letter  from  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  in  December,  1781,  to 
the  Court  of  Kaskaskia  in  which  he  says  that  he  had  learned 
that  there  are  in  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  numerous  vagabonds 
and  refugees  who  are  a  constant  annoyance  to  the  peace  and 
tranquility  of  the  community  since  they  are  engaged  in  stealing, 
and  committing  other  offences  against  good  order  and  decency. 
He  urges  the  court  to  use  its  powers  to  the  extent  of  inflicting 
corporal  punishment  or  even  the  death  penalty,  and  tells  them 
to  call  on  the  militia  to  carry  out  their  orders. 

During  1782  there  was  an  Indian  raid  of  large  proportions  into 
Kentucky  from  the  Ohio  region  and  in  the  effort  to  drive  them 
out  of  the  Kentucky  territory,  John  Todd  was  killed.  It  is  not 
known  whether  he  was  still  acting  as  county-lieutenant  of  Illi- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  213 

nois  or  not,  but  the  supposition  is  that  he  was  still  nominally 
the  chief  civil  official  in  the  Illinois  Country  though  he  resided 
in  Kentucky  and  Virginia.  Colonel  Clark  with  a  good  sized  body 
of  troops  avenged  the  death  of  Todd  by  wasting  villages,  crops 
and  killing  savages  along  the  Miami  River  in  late  November, 
1782. 

Mustered  Out 

The  preliminary  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain  was  signed  November  30,  1782,  and  the  defi- 
nite treaty  was  signed  September  3,  1783. 

It  was  therefore  known  in  America  in  the  early  part  of  1783 
that  the  war  was  over.  The  governor  of  Virginia  therefore 
ordered  the  mustering  out  of  all  the  Virginia  troops  in  Illinois. 
On  the  18th  day  of  January,  1783,  therefore  the  Virginia  troops 
in  Illinois  were  mustered  out  of  service,  and  July  of  that  year 
Colonel  Clark  was  notified  that  his  services  would  be  no  longer 
needed.  The  following  communication  was  sent  from  the  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia  to  Colonel  Clark : 

In  Council,  July  2,  1783. 

Sir:  The  conclusion  of  the  war>  and  the  distressed  situation 
of  the  State,  with  regard  to  its  finances,  call  on  us  to  adopt  the 
most  prudent  economy.  It  is  for  this  reason  alone,  I  have  come 
to  a  determination  to  give  over  all  thought,  for  the  present,  of 
carrying  on  an  offensive  war  against  the  Indians,  which,  you  will 
easily  perceive,  will  render  the  services  of  a  general  officer  in  that 
quarter  unnecessary,  and  will,  therefore,  consider  yourself  out  of 
command.  But,  before  I  take  leave  of  you,  I  feel  myself  called 
upon,  in  the  most  forcible  manner,  to  return  you  my  thanks,  and 
those  of  my  council  for  the  very  great  and  singular  service  you 
have  rendered  your  country,  in  wresting  so  great  and  valuable 
a  territory  from  the  hands  of  the  British  enemy,  repelling  the 
attacks  of  their  savage  allies,  and  carrying  on  a  successful  war 
in  the  heart  of  their  country.  This  tribute  of  praise  and  thanks 
so  justly  due,  I  am  happy  to  communicate  to  you  as  the  united 
voice  of  the  Executive. 

I  am,  with  respect,  sir, 

Yours,  etc., 

BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 

From  1783  to  the  coming  of  Governor  St.  Clair  in  1790,  there 
was  no  semblance  of  civil  authority  except  what  each  village 
maintained  in  its  court.  There  are  several  reasons  why  order 
was  lacking  in  the  Illinois  country. 

First:  The  Act  of  the  Virginia  Legislature  creating  the 
County  of  Illinois,  passed  December  9,  1778,  was  renewed  in 
May,  1780,  with  provision  that  it  was  to  continue  for  one  year 
and  until  the  end  of  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature.  This 
prolonged  the  life  of  the  act  to  the  5th  of  January,  1782,  when 
the  act  ceased  by  reason  of  the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature. 


214  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Second:  The  death  of  County-Lieutenant  John  Todd,  at  the 
Blue  Licks,  August  18,  1782,  removed  from  authority  the  only 
civil  officer  which  Virginia  ever  sent  into  the  Illinois  country. 
The  act  creating  the  Illinois  country  provided  that  the  county 
lieutenant  should  appoint  all  civil  and  military  officers  that  were 
necessary  to  administer  justice  and  protect  life  and  property. 
When  the  act  creating  the  county  expired  by  limitation  the 
authority  of  Todd  and  every  one  who  held  any  office  under  him 
ceased  in  the  Illinois  country.  Todd  and  all  his  appointees  con- 
tinued after  the  county  ceased  to  exist,  to  exercise  authority  in 
the  several  villages.  Of  course  whatever  they  did  which  was 
helpful  to  the  cause  of  order  and  safety  was  morally  right  and 
was  endorsed  by  fair-minded  people;  but  when  they  tyrannized 
over  the  people,  forced  the  inhabitants  to  furnish  food  and  cloth- 
ing for  soldiers  and  officers  which  had  no  legal  status,  they  were 
doing  moral  wrong  and  legal  injustice. 

Third :  Another  step  which  helped  to  drive  the  Illinois  coun- 
try into  anarchy  was  the  dismissal  of  Colonel  Clark  from  the 
service  of  Virginia.  As  long  as  Clark's  commission  was  in  force 
there  was  some  pretense  that  he  could  exercise  authority  in  the 
Illinois  country.  At  least  ho  one  rose  in  revolt  against  his 
authority,  since  it  was  always  exercised  in  favor  of  the  conditions 
which  ought  to  obtain. 

Fourth:  A  fourth  consideration  should  be  noticed.  On  Jan- 
uary 2,  1781,  Virginia,  by  action  of  her  Legislature,  began  the 
process  of  ceding  to  the  general  government  her  claims  to  the 
lands  west  and  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River.  And  while  the  final 
cession  was  not  made  till  1784,  it  was  understood  that  the  ces- 
sion would  be  made.  So  that  practically,  Virginia  ceased  to  have 
any  control  in  the  Illinois  the  moment  she  passed  her  first  act  of 
cession  in  1781.  She  ceased  legally  the  moment  the  act  of  ces- 
sion was  completed  in  1784. 

The  final  act  of  the  cession  came  March  1,  1784.  "The  country 
had  been  in  a  state  of  unconcealed  anarchy  for  more  than  two 
years,  all  semblance  of  Virginia  authority  having  ceased,  and 
the  cession  is  quite  as  much  a  tribute  to  Virginia's  shrewdness 
as  to  her  generosity." 

This  cession  on  the  part  of  Virginia  was  a  transfer  of  title 
from  Virginia  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  for  all  the 
territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  which  was  in  later  years  included 
in  the  five  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wis- 
consin. Virginia's  cession  had  a  few  provisos  in  it  which  we  will 
state  briefly :    (See  Boggess,  The  Settlement  of  Illinois.) 

"1.     The  territory  should  be  formed  into  states  of  not  less 
than  100  nor  more  than  150  square  miles  each. 

2.  Virginia's  expenses  in  subduing  and  governing  the  terri- 
tory should  be  reimbursed  by  the  United  States. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  215 

3.  Settlers  should  have  their  'possessions  and  titles  con- 
firmed.' 

4.  One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres,  or  less,  should  be 
granted  to  George  Rogers  Clark  and  his  soldiers. 

5.  The  Virginia  Military  county  lands  should  be  located  north 
of  the  Ohio  River,  unless  there  should  prove  to  be  enough  land 
for  the  purpose  south  of  that  river. 

6.  The  proceeds  for  the  sale  of  the  lands  (ceded)  should  be 
for  the  United  States  severally." 

Richard  Winston  whom  John  Todd  left  at  Kaskaskia  as  deputy 
lieutenant  commandant  or  county-lieutenant,  served  from  the 
fall  of  1779  to  January  8,  1783.  He  then  resigned  and  appointed 
Jacques  Timothe  Bucher  Sieur  de  Monbreun.  Winston,  while 
civil  ruler  in  Kaskaskia,  was  greatly  annoyed  and  hindered  in 
his  work  by  John  Dodge,  a  representative  of  the  military  spirit 
of  Kaskaskia.  Dodge  probably  did  not  have  a  military  commis- 
sion from  any  one,  but  assumed  to  do  as  he  would  if  he  had  held 
a  military  commission.  He  resided  in  Kaskaskia  for  a  few  years 
after  Todd  left  the  country  and  he  and  Winston  were  continu- 
ally at  swords'  points.  Winston  allied  himself  with  the  French 
faction  while  Dodge  belonged  to  the  American  party.  Dodge 
issued  an  order  for  the  arrest  of  Winston  who  was  thrown  into 
jail.  The  wife  of  Winston  appealed  to  the  President  of  the  Kas- 
kaskia court  to  have  John  Dodge  brought  into  court  and  show 
why  her  husband  was  held  as  a  criminal.  Antoine  Bauvais  was 
president  of  the  court  and  he  lived  at  Prairie  du  Rocher.  Court 
was  called  but  there  were  obstacles  to  a  speedy  hearing.  The 
prosecuting  attorney  took  the  matter  into  his  hands  and  heard 
some  testimony  against  Winston  who  was  given  his  freedom  but 
the  charges  remained  against  him.  This  whole  incident  was  a 
conflict  between  the  civil  and  military  authority  in  which  the 
civil  authority  lost  prestige.  A  short  time  after  this,  toward  the 
end  of  the  year  1782,  Winston  issued  an  order  abolishing  the 
Kaskaskia  court,  and  the  village  was  without  a  court  till  1787. 
This  allowed  Dodge  to  carry  things  with  a  high  hand. 

Winston  decided  to  go  to  Virginia  and  see  if  by  some  plan  a 
new  government  could  be  organized  in  Kaskaskia.  And  before 
he  left  he  appointed  Timothy  De  Mountbrun  as  county-lieutenant 
as  stated  above.  Winston  appeared  before  the  Virginia  authori- 
ties but  accomplished  little.  He  died  in  Richmond  in  1784  in 
great  poverty.  Dodge  now  had  almost  a  clear  field.  He  took 
charge  of  old  Fort  Gage  on  the  bluffs  overlooking  the  Kaskaskia 
village  put  two  cannon  in  place  and  surrounded  himself  with  sol- 
diers and  kindred  spirits  and  ruled  Kaskaskia  with  an  iron  hand. 

Kaskaskia  Court 

The  history  of  Kahokia  from  1780  to  1790  is  very  different 
from  that  of  Kaskaskia.    These  two  villages  and  Vincennes  are 


216  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  chief  centers  of  interest  in  this  decade  of  anarchy.  Prairie 
du  Rocher  and  Bellefontaine  were  considered  as  belonging  in 
the  jurisdiction  of  Kaskaskia  and  for  a  while  participated  in  the 
civil  affairs  of  this  village.  Grand  Risseau  being  near  Cahokia 
was  under  her  jurisdiction.  At  one  time  within  this  period  of 
confusion,  1780-1790,  Bellefontaine,  Grand  Risseau  and  some 
Americans  under  the  bluff  near  Bellefontaine,  took  steps  to 
organize  an  independent  government  but  the  Cahokia  court  was 
too  strong,  and  overawed  the  people  of  Grand  Risseau  and  the 
plans  never  matured.  The  Cahokia  court  was  well  organized, 
met  regularly  and  enforced  its  decisions.  The  court  even  went 
so  far  in  civil  government  as  to  pass  ordinances  and  enforced 
them.  It  was  therefore  a  legislative  body,  an  executive  body, 
and  a  judicial  body.  The  number  of  judges  who  usually  sat 
upon  the  bench  was  six  but  in  some  cases  more  and  in  some  cases 
fewer  than  six.  The  first  court  was  organized  by  Colonel  Clark 
and  the  first  sitting  was  on  December  31,  1778.  Capt.  Joseph 
Bowman,  one  of  Clark's  officers,  was  president  of  the  court.  The 
first  criminal  case  was  a  charge  against  a  negro  for  poisoning 
another  negro.  This  case  was  first  found  in  Todd's  record  book 
by  Mr.  Mason  of  Chicago.  The  order  of  Todd  to  the  sheriff  is 
copied  in  a  previous  chapter.  Because  the  case  has  not  been 
well  understood,  a  brief  account  of  the  court  proceedings  will  be 
given  here: 

Two  negroes,  Manuel  and  Moreau,  were  walking  along  a  road 
and  met  a  third  negro.  The  two  negroes  gave  the  third  negro  a 
pint  of  tafia,  who  having  drunk  the  liquor  began  to  die  by  slow 
degrees.  The  wife  of  the  dying  negro  testified  in  court  that  the 
negroes  Manuel  and  Moreau  told  her  that  they  had  poisoned  her 
husband.  The  case  became  very  complicated  as  it  was  prose- 
cuted. It  developed  that  Manuel  and  Moreau  had  been  in  the 
wholesale  poisoning  business.  After  the  evidence  was  all  in,  the 
States  Attorney,  J.  Girault,  made  a  very  strong  plea  in  which  he 
said  that  both  negroes  were  guilty  as  stated  in  the  indictment 
and  that  no  form  of  death  would  be  too  severe  for  them.  The 
court  then  passed  judgment  and  fixed  the  penalty  at  death.  The 
evidence  showed  that  Moreau  was  more  guilty  than  Manuel,  for 
he  had  administered  the  poison  while  Manuel  had  provided  the 
same.  While  the  court  records  do  not  state  the  form  of  death, 
Todd's  record  book  says  that  Manuel  was  to  be  burned  at  the 
stake  while  Moreau  was  to  be  hanged.  The  early  writers  who 
had  meager  information  thought  the  charge  against  these  two 
negroes  was  witchcraft,  but  the  court  records  show  that  the 
above  are  the  facts. 

The  court  records  for  Cahokia  are  very  complete.  They  have 
been  translated  by  Professor  Alvord,  formerly  of  the  University 
of  Illinois,  under  the  direction  and  support  of  the  Illinois  State 
Historical  Library.  They  are  found  in  Volume  II  of  the  Illinois 
Historical  Collections,  and  in  Volume  I  of  the  Virginia  series. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787 

Population — The  King's  View — State  or  Nation — Mary- 
land's Demand — Ordinance  of  1784-1785 — Weakness  of 
Ordinance  of  1784 — Ohio  Company  of  Associates — Ordi- 
nance of  1787 — Provisions  of  the  Ordinance — Bill  of 
Rights — The  Westward  Movement — Territory  First 
Class  —  Counties  Organized  —  St.  Clair  County  —  A 
Memorial — Immigration — Randolph  County 

The  year  1787  was  a  memorable  year  in  American  history. 
Two  distinguished  groups  of  men  both  working  under  the  lash 
of  necessity  wrought  out  two  of  the  most  profound  and  far- 
reaching  political  documents  that  have  been  produced  in  the 
history  of  the  New  World.  These  were  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  Ordinance  of  1787  for  the  Government  of 
the  Territory  Northwest  of  the  Ohio  River. 

When  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  and  Virginia 
ceded  their  lands  beyond  the  Alleghanies  to  the  general  govern- 
ment to  be  administered  and  disposed  of  for  the  good  of  the 
whole  people  of  the  United  States,  they  imposed  a  task  upon  the 
government  which  was  not  less  difficult  than  the  one  which  the 
government  had  just  successfully  performed. 

Population 

There  were  supposed  to  be  at  the  accession  of  George  I,  in 
1760,  about  one  and  a  half  million  people  in  the  thirteen  colonies. 
In  spite  of  three  decades  of  civil  and  political  strife,  war,  and 
national  and  international  adjustment,  there  were  a  little  less 
than  four  million  of  Europeans  and  their  descendants  in  the 
settled  portions  of  the  continent  of  North  America.  This  was 
a  remarkable  increase  when  we  think  of  the  uncertainties  in 
political  and  economic  life  which  prevailed  in  all  this  country. 
Of  this  4,000,000  people  110,000  of  them  were  living  outside 
of  and  beyond  what  was  known  at  that  date  as  the  territorial 
jurisdiction  of  the  thirteen  colonies.  The  110,000  people  were 
not  under  the  advantages  and  protection  of  civil  government. 
The  constant  stream  of  emigration  which  poured  over  the  Alle- 

217 


218  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

ghanies  from  1775  to  1790  has  been  a  source  of  study  for  the 
historian.  The  unknown  physical  conditions,  the  great  danger 
from  Indians,  the  almost  unbearable  hardships  of  the  journey, 
the  unsettled  civil  and  political  life  in  which  one  must  live  were 
no  embargo  on  this  constant  movement  into  the  new  West. 

The  full  fledged  American  adventurer  who  left  a  comfortable 
home  in  the  southern  or  middle  states,  besides  having  to  con- 
tend with  the  physical  hardships  of  travel,  the  dangers  from 
sickness  in  a  new  land,  the  inconveniences  of  markets  for  his 
surplus  products,  had  in  addition,  the  veiled  though  often  open 
opposition  of  four  races  of  people. 

The  Indians  looked  upon  the  coming  of  the  Americans  into 
the  region  west  of  the  Alleghanies  as  a  real  menace  to  their 
hunting  privileges  and  rights.  The  fundamental  difference  be- 
tween the  menace  of  the  American  settlers  and  that  of  the  so- 
called  settlers  among  the  French,  the  Spanish  or  even  the  Eng- 
lish was  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Americans  who  came 
into  the  West  were  real  home-makers.  They  became  attached 
to  the  soil.  The  Frenchman  was  not  rooted  to  the  soil.  He  was 
here  today,  there  tomorrow.  The  Spanish  was  much  like  the 
Frenchman.  The  Englishman  was  a  real  sojourner.  He  was 
here  in  the  West  because  there  were  opportunities  of  money- 
making.  In  other  words,  the  French  and  Spanish  settlements 
never  interfered  with  the  occupation  of  the  Indian.  If  the 
Americans  settled  in  a  region  it  was  ruined  for  a  hunting  ground. 

The  King's  View 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  study  for  a  few  moments  the  condi- 
tions under  which  the  public  lands  in  America  were  settled. 
The  King  of  England  always  understood,  in  granting  lands  in 
America  to  individuals  or  to  companies,  that  he  was  not  re- 
linquishing his  sovereignty  over  the  area  granted.  According 
to  English  law  and  imperial  practice,  the  title  to  American  soil 
was  in  the  King  and  in  those  to  whom  he  had  granted  it,  subject 
in  each  case  to  the  conditions  of  the  letters  patent.  English 
conceptions  of  land  holding  were  still  distinctly  feudal,  and 
American  land  grants  had  been  based  directly  upon  those  ideals. 
So  the  King  could  not  alienate  the  property  of  the  crown,  these 
patents  (grants  of  lands)  were  made  on  terms  of  rental  tenure." 
According  to  the  English  idea  of  land  holdings,  the  holder  of 
land  did  not  possess  the  land  in  "fee  simple,"  but  occupied  it 
under  terms  of  this  rental  tenure.  The  possessor  of  land  could 
hold  his  grant  as  against  any  other  subject  so  long  as  he  paid 
an  annual  fee  to  the  King.  There  grew  up  therefore  a  system 
of  "quit  rent  tenure." 

The  agreement  between  the  King  of  France  and  La  Salle 
relative  to  the  grant  of  Fort  Frontenac  as  well  as  to  the  grant 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  219 

of  the  entire  Louisiana  country  was  that  La  Salle  should  pay 
a  quit  rent  annually  in  lieu  of  all  other  claims  which  the  King 
of  France  might  have.  The  same  conditions  were  provided  in 
the  grant  of  Crozat,  who  was  to  give  the  King  of  France  one- 
fifth  of  all  gold  and  silver  mined  in  the  Louisiana  country. 

The  English  Kings  in  making  grants  in  the  New  World  re- 
quired quit  rents  of  all  grantees.  These  quit  rents  are  quoted 
at  two  shillings  to  each  hundred  acres.  All  unoccupied  land, 
that  is,  all  ungranted  land,  was  held  subject  to  the  wish  of  the 
King.  When  James  I  succeeded  in  getting  the  charter  of  Vir- 
ginia annulled  in  1624,  he  resumed  control  of  all  ungranted 
land  within  the  limit  of  the  charter  of  1609.  All  the  lands  there- 
fore west  of  the  Alleghanies,  according  to  the  old  English  theory 
of  land  holding,  reverted  to  the  King  of  England.  When  the 
King  of  England  acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  and  agreed  to  and  acknowledged  a  definite  boundary  line, 
he  transferred  the  sovereign  control  of  all  lands  and  all  people 
within  the  said  boundary  to  another  sovereign  power,  namely, 
the  United  States.  This  transfer  of  the  unoccupied  land  west  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  was  a  transfer  in  "fee  simple,"  a  sort 
of  quit  claim  deed. 

State  or  Nation 

To  whom  did  the  King  of  England  transfer  the  unoccupied 
land  in  America?  There  were  two  answers  to  this.  One  theory 
was  that  the  different  states  (formerly  colonies)  each  was  given 
the  unoccupied  land  within  its  boundary.  The  resolution  by 
Richard  Henry  Lee  in  the  Continental  Congress  of  1776  read: 
"Resolved  that  these  united  colonies  are  and  of  right  ought  to 
be  free  and  independent  states,  that  they  are  absolved  from 
all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown  and  that  all  political  connec- 
tion between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is,  and  ought 
to  be,  totally  dissolved."  In  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
the  above  words  are  inserted  and  in  addition  this :  "and  that  as 
free  and  independent  states,  they  have  full  power  to  levy  war, 
etc."  These  quotations  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  states 
were  to  be  free  and  independent  (sovereign)  states.  If  so  then 
Virginia  owned  all  the  land  in  Illinois  not  heretofore  granted 
to  some  individual  or  to  a  group  of  individuals  by  some  sov- 
ereign power  which  for  the  time  was  in  control  of  the  territory. 
This  theory  that  the  states  were  recognized  as  independent 
sovereignties  was  the  basis  of  the  doctrine  of  states'  rights. 

The  other  theory  was  that  when  the  United  Colonies  asserted 
their  independence  they  were  not  thinking  about  each  colony 
becoming  an  independent  (sovereign)  state,  for  Patrick  Henry, 
who  early  in  the  first  Continental  Congress  declared  that  he 
was  no  longer  a  Virginian  but  an  American.    He  said :  "Where 


220  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

are  your  land  marks,  your  boundaries  of  colonies? — I  am  no 
longer  a  Virginian,  but  an  American."  And  Christopher  Gads- 
den of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  wrote  to  a  friend  of  his  in 
London  as  early  as  1765:  "There  ought  to  be  no  New  England 
men,  no  New  Yorkers,  etc.,  known  on  the  continent,  but  all  of 
us  Americans."  The  commissioners  who  worked  out  the  terms 
of  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  were  the  envoys  of  the  new  sovereign  power,  the  United 
States  of  America.  They  spoke  for  no  state,  they  spoke  for 
the  United  States.  The  British  Government  would  not  have 
honored  their  appointment  if  it  had  been  made  by  any  one  state 
or  any  three  states. 

From  this  it  appears  that  Great  Britain  must  have  trans- 
ferred her  sovereign  control  of  the  unoccupied  land  in  America 
to  one  sovereign  power  and  that  this  transfer  clothed  the  United 
States  with  the  ownership  of  a  public  domain,  and  we  did  not 
have  to  wait  till  the  different  states  made  their  transfers  in 
order  to  come  into  control  of  a  public  domain. 

Maryland's  Demand 

The  Articles  of  Confederation  were  presented  by  John 
Dickinson  to  the  Continental  Congress  in  the  middle  of  the  sum- 
mer of  1776.  The  document  lay  upon  the  table  till  late  in  the 
summer  of  1777,  when  Congress  endorsed  the  Articles  as  a 
frame  work  of  government.  The  Articles  were  then  sent  to  the 
states  for  ratification  as  provided  in  the  document  itself.  The 
states  began  to  ratify,  but  the  end  of  February,  1781,  had  ar- 
rived and  the  document  was  not  in  force  because  one  state, 
Maryland,  had  not  yet  ratified  it.  "The  delay  in  ratification  of 
the  Articles  was  not  due  in  any  way  to  the  undesirableness  of 
the  form  of  government  to  be  established  under  them,  but  to  the 
jealousy  of  the  states  that  had  no  claim  to  western  lands 
towards  those  who  were  more  fortunate  in  this  respect."  The 
lands  west  of  the  Alleghanies  were  known  to  be  rich  agricul- 
tural regions,  and  nearly  everyone  expected  a  general  movement 
of  population  to  these  rich  western  lands  as  soon  as  the  war 
was  over. 

The  states  that  had  no  claims  to  western  lands  were  New 
Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and  Mary- 
land. The  Articles  were  so  favorable  to  the  small  states,  giv- 
ing them  equal  voting  strength,  in  the  Congress,  with  the  larger 
states,  that  Delaware,  New  Hampshire,  and  New  Jersey  ratified 
without  stubbornly  refusing  because  of  the  western  land  situa- 
tion. This  left  Rhode  Island  and  Maryland.  The  former  state 
soon  after  ratified,  and  the  whole  question  of  a  national  govern- 
ment was  up  to  Maryland.  She  positively  refused  to  sign  unless 
all  the  states  having  claims  would  cede  those  claims  to  the  gen- 
eral government. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  221 

On  February  19,  1780,  the  New  York  Legislature  passed  an 
act  of  cession.  It  was  laid  before  Congress  March  7,  1780. 
January  2,  1781,  the  Virginia  Legislature  passed  an  act  of  ces- 
sion. On  March  1,  1781,  Maryland,  taking  the  promises  of  the 
several  states  for  the  real  act,  ratified  the  Articles  of  Confed- 
eration, and  on  the  next  day,  March  2,  1781,  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  met  under  a  written  constitution. 

The  deeds  of  cession  must  all  be  presented  to  Congress  and 
be  accepted.  The  first  deed  accepted  was  that  of  New  York, 
which  was  presented  and  accepted  October  29,  1782.  By  No- 
vember 13,  1784,  all  the  states  having  claims  north  of  the  Ohio 
River  had  ceded  their  lands  and  the  transfers  were  either  com- 
pleted or  on  the  way  to  early  completion. 

Ordinance  of  1784-1785 

Now  that  the  United  States  had  come  to  own  a  vast  area 
of  the  richest  land  in  the  world,  the  question  that  next  arose 
was,  what  disposition  shall  be  made  of  it?  Thomas  Jefferson 
was  a  member  of  Congress  from  Virginia  in  1784  and  being 
chairman  of  a  committee  to  consider  how  the  western  lands 
should  be  disposed  of,  reported  on  March  1,  1784,  a  temporary 
plan  of  government  for  these  lands.  It  was  amended  more  or 
less  and  was  passed  April  23,  of  the  same  year.  By  this  plan 
the  territory  west  of  the  Ohio  should  be  made  into  ten  states. 
These  states  might  be  admitted  into  the  Union  when  the  popu- 
lation was  as  large  as  that  of  the  least  populous  of  the  original 
thirteen  states.     This  ordinance  was  never  put  into  operation. 

A  second  ordinance  was  passed  in  the  year  1785,  May  20. 
This  was  what  has  been  called  the  Survey  Ordinance.  This  or- 
dinance provided  for  the  appointment  of  a  Geographer  of  the 
United  States.  Under  his  direction  and  oversight,  the  lands 
west  of  the  Ohio  were  to  be  surveyed  and  maps  made.  The 
system  was  what  we  know  as  the  rectangular  system  survey. 
Most  people  are  quite  familiar  with  this  system.  The  law  pro- 
vided for  the  first  or  principal  meridian  to  be  drawn  north  from 
a  point  on  the  Ohio  River  which  is  due  north  of  the  west  end 
of  the  south  line  of  Pennsylvania.  Then  other  north  and  south 
lines  were  to  be  drawn  at  distance  of  every  six  miles,  west  of 
the  first  or  prime  meridian.  Through  the  said  point  on  the 
Ohio  River  an  east  and  west  line  should  be  drawn,  and  other 
lines  parallel  thereto  every  six  miles  to  the  north  and  the  south. 
Thus  we  see  the  territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  River 
and  Pennsylvania  would  be  cut  into  rectangles  six  miles  each 
way.  These  are  known  as  Congressional  townships,  or  as  town- 
ships. Plats  or  maps  were  to  be  made  and  returned  by  the 
Geographer  to  the  Board  of  Treasury  of  the  Congress. 

The  Geographer  was  especially  charged  to  have  the  surveyors 
make  notes  on  their  maps  or  plats  of  the  location  of  all  mines, 


222  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

salt  springs,  salt  licks  and  mill-seats,  qiiarries,  etc.  This  rec- 
tangular system  of  survey  is  in  contrast  with  the  "metes  and 
bounds  system"  which  prevailed  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 
The  reservation  of  Connecticut  on  the  south  side  of  Lake  Erie 
and  that  of  Virginia  along  the  Ohio  were  not  surveyed  and 
platted  by  this  township  system.  The  Survey  Ordinance  pro- 
vided that  the  townships  should  be  sub-surveyed  so  that  the 
rectangle  should  be  divided  into  thirty-six  equal  "lots"  or  as  we 
are  accustomed  to  say,  sections.  These  "lots"  or  sections  should 
be  numbered  as  we  know  they  were  beginning  at  the  north- 
east, etc.    The  ordinance  says: 

"There  shall  be  reserved  the  lot  of  16  of  every  township  for 
the  maintenance  of  public  schools,  within  the  said  township; 
also  one-third  of  all  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  copper  mines  to  be 
sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of  as  Congress  shall  hereafter  di- 
rect." Thomas  Jefferson  has  been  given  the  credit  for  orig- 
inating the  rectangular  system  of  survey,  but  Col.  Charles 
Whittlesey  gives  the  honor  to  Thomas  Hutchins,  the  first  "Geog- 
rapher of  the  United  States."  This  title  was  afterwards,  1796, 
changed  to  that  of  Surveyor-General,  and  the  first  person  to  hold 
this  latter  title  was  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam.  Doctor  Hinsdale  in 
"The  Old  Northwest"  says  that  Thomas  Hutchins  conceived  this 
system  in  1764  when  he  was  a  captain  of  the  Sixtieth  Royal  Regi- 
ment, and  engineer  to  the  expedition  to  the  Ohio,  under  Col. 
Henry  Boquet.  He  was  at  one  time  stationed  at  Fort  Chartres, 
so  it  is  claimed.  He  resigned  his  position  in  the  British  army 
and  after  being  a  prisoner  in  London  for  treasonable  corre- 
spondence with  Benjamin  Franklin,  he  joined  the  American 
army  at  Charleston  under  General  Greene.  He  died  at  Pitts- 
burg in  1789.  The  first  principal  meridian  is  the  east  line  of 
Ohio.  The  second  principal  meridian  is  the  meridian  84,°  51' 
west  longitude.  This  meridian  is  some  eighteen  miles  west  of 
Indianapolis.  The  third  principal  meridian  is  the  meridian  of 
89,°  10/  30"  west  longitude,  and  runs  north  practically  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River  passing  through  Mound  City,  the 
county  seat  of  Pulaski  County.  The  fourth  principal  meridian 
is  the  meridian  90,°  29/  56,"  and  runs  north  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  River.  This  meridian  governs  the  surveys  west  of 
the  Illinois  River  and  that  part  of  the  state  north  of  the  Illinois 
River  and  west  of  the  third  principal  meridian. 

Weakness  of  Ordinance  of  1784 

When  Thomas  Jefferson  was  a  delegate  from  Virginia  to  the 
Continental  Congress  in  1784,  he  worked  out  the  details  of  the 
ordinance  of  that  date.  He  was  very  favorable  to  the  peopling 
of  the  land  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  Most  statesmen 
thought  of  the  back  country  as  a  source  of  income  with  which 
the  old  debt  could  be  paid.    But  Jefferson  was  opposed  to  charg- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  223 

ing  a  price  for  the  western  lands  to  settlers,  because,  he  said, 
these  settlers  will  become  a  part  of  the  nation  and  will  be  taxed 
to  help  pay  the  nation's  debt,  and  that  was  as  much  as  they 
ought  to  be  expected  to  do.  But  the  Ordinance  of  1784  brought 
no  settlers  to  the  back  country.  People  were  coming  into  the 
West,  but  they  were  not  coming  because  of  the  Ordinance  of 
1784.  They  were  individuals  who  were  of  an  adventurous  na- 
ture and  were  attracted  to  the  West  because  the  West  was  the 
counterpart  of  their  ideals.  Governor  Reynolds  in  his  "Pioneer 
History,"  gives  the  names  of  the  people  who  came  into  the  lo- 
calities of  the  French  villages  especially  about  Kaskaskia.  Ca- 
hokia,  and  other  nearby  localities,  from  the  early  days  of  the 
Revolutionary  war  to  the  coming  of  Governor  St.  Clair.  But 
there  was  no  general  emigration  into  the  territory  northwest 
of  the  Ohio.  This  is  not  to  say  that  there  were  none  who  were 
planning  large  movements  of  people  into  this  Northwest,  but 
up  to  1787,  there  had  always  been  some  difficulty  arise  which 
postponed  action.  The  soldiers  who  fought  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  were  paid  off  at  the  close  of  the  war  with  paper  money 
or  with  "certificates  of  indebtedness,"  which  could  not  be  ex- 
changed for  coin.  Just  what  they  could  do  with  these  certifi- 
cates was  a  problem.  As  people  began  to  hear  more  of  the  lands 
beyond  the  Ohio,  they  also  commenced  to  plan  for  the  exchange 
of  their  "certificates  of  indebtedness."  A  body  of  officers  who 
were,  in  the  latter  part  of  1783,  out  of  military  service  or  soon 
to  be  out,  petitioned  Congress  for  a  grant  of  land  west  of  the 
Ohio  where  they  might  organize  a  state  which  might  eventually 
be  admitted  into  the  Union,  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  thir- 
teen original  states. 

Ohio  Company  of  Associates 

It  appears  that  there  were  many  officers  about  Boston  who 
had  large  holdings  of  the  "final  certificates."  It  was  proposed 
that  a  sort  of  company  be  organized  having  for  its  end  the  con- 
version of  those  "final  certificates"  into  broad  acres  on  the  fer- 
tile prairies  of  the  West. 

In  the  year  1785  three  prominent  men  from  about  Boston  had 
acquired  a  great  deal  of  enthusiasm  for  this  movement  into  the 
west.  They  were  Gen.  Benjamin  Tupper  who  visited  Pittsburg. 
Another  was  Gen.  Samuel  Holden  Parsons  who  visited  as  far 
west  as  Louisville,  and  a  third,  the  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler,  who 
was  introduced  to  Thomas  Hutchins  in  New  York  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1785.  Hutchins  told  Cutler  that  the  best  place 
to  settle  in  the  West  was  about  the  Muskingum  River.  The 
Ohio  Company  of  Associates  was  formed  in  Boston  March  3, 
1786.  The  directors  of  the  company  sent  General  Parsons  to 
Congress  to  propose  the  purchase  of  a  large  tract  of  land  west 
of  the  Ohio  by  the  Ohio  Company.     Parsons  presented  his  pe- 


224  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tition  to  a  committee  and  after  an  interview  or  two  with  the 
committee  he  returned  to  Boston.  His  place  was  taken  by  Dr. 
Manassah  Cutler. 

Doctor  Cutler  was  a  scientist  of  considerable  note,  a  Con- 
gregational minister  of  great  influence.  He  had  interested 
himself  in  the  old  soldiers  who  were  at  loss  to  know  what  to  do 
in  order  to  realize  on  their  "final  certificates."  When  Doctor 
Cutler  arrived  at  New  York  on  July  5th,  1787,  the  committee 
to  whom  had  been  referred  the  proposed  ordinance  for  the 
government  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  about  ready  to 
report  thereon.  The  times  were  critical,  the  Government  was 
approaching  a  final  dissolution,  brave  hearts  were,  however, 
not  ready  to  desert  the  sinking  ship.  Over  at  Philadelphia  a 
group  of  men  from  the  old  thirteen  were  working  out  a  new 
experiment  in  government.  The  Constitutional  Convention  of 
some  fifty  of  America's  most  profound  thinkers  was  half  done 
the  task  of  writing  up  a  frame  of  government  for  a  "more 
perfect  union." 

Ordinance  of  1787 

There  were  only  eight  of  the  thirteen  states  represented  in 
the  Continental  Congress — Massachusetts,  New  York,  New  Jer- 
sey, Delaware,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and 
Georgia. 

The  purpose  of  the  visits  of  both  General  Parsons  and  Doctor 
Cutler  was  to  negotiate  the  purchase  of  a  tract  of  land  on  the 
Ohio  River  in  the  name  of  the  "Ohio  Company  of  Associates." 
This  company  had  $1,000,000  in  certificates  of  indebtedness  with 
which  they  wished  to  purchase  the  lands  on  the  Ohio.  Doctor 
Cutler,  being  a  minister  and  an  educated  man  and  one  who 
looked  upon  the  things  of  culture  as  of  as  much  worth  as  broad 
acres  of  rich  land,  interested  himself  in  the  work  of  the  com- 
mittee which  was  just  ready  to  report  the  new  ordinance  for  the 
government  of  the  land  beyond  the  Ohio.  He  conferred  with 
them  orally  and  gave  them  many  new  ideas  as  to  the  principles 
which  should  be  incorporated  in  the  ordinance.  He  arrived 
on  the  5th  of  July  and  by  the  10th  such  headway  had  been  made 
that  the  committee  consisting  of  Carrington  and  Lee  of  Vir- 
ginia, Dane  of  Massachusetts,  Kean  of  South  Carolina,  and 
Smith  of  New  York,  invited  Doctor  Cutler  to  submit  in  writing 
his  views  touching  the  points  which  had  been  discussed  orally. 
This  he  did.  On  the  11th  of  July  the  committee  presented  the 
report,  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  and  after  three  days'  discussion 
the  report  was  adopted  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  states 
present.  Thus  we  see  that  an  act  creating  a  government  for  a 
large  area  of  the  country  was  rounded  out  and  finished  in  less 
than  two  weeks  which  Congress  had  been  working  on  for  two 
or  three  years. 

We  have  said  that  Doctor  Cutler's  real  mission  was  the  pur- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  225 

chase  of  $1,000,000  worth  of  land  on  the  Ohio.  On  July  23, 
1787,  Congress  adopted  a  resolution  which  authorized  the  Board 
of  Treasury  to  contract  with  any  person  or  persons  for  a  grant 
of  land  lying  just  north  of  the  Ohio,  east  of  the  Scioto  River, 
west  of  the  west  line  of  the  seventh  row  of  townships  and 
reaching  as  far  north  as  the  tenth  range.  The  resolution  pro- 
vided that  the  land  should  be  surveyed  by  the  purchasers  ac- 
cording to  the  rectangular  system.  The  16th  section  should  be 
reserved  for  school  purposes  and  sections  8,  11  and  26  should 
be  reserved  for  religious  purposes;  and  two  townships  of  land 
reserved  for  a  university.  The  price  fixed  by  Congress  was 
$1.00  per  acre,  in  gold  or  silver,  or  in  loan  office  certificates 
reduced  to  a  specie  basis. 

On  July  26,  three  days  after  the  Board  of  Treasury  was  au- 
thorized to  contract  the  sale  of  this  large  piece  of  land,  Doctor 
Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sargent  addressed  a  communication  to 
the  Board  of  Treasury  in  which  they  offered  several  changes 
in  the  contract.  One  pertained  to  the  survey  of  the  land;  one 
to  the  payment  which  the  purchasers  fixed  at  one  half  million 
at  signing  of  contract,  one  half  million  when  survey  is  com- 
pleted, and  remainder  in  six  equal  annual  installments;  one 
provided  for  the  establishment  of  the  university;  another  pro- 
vided for  the  transfer  of  deeds;  another  guaranteed,  morally, 
the  payment  of  the  deferred  installments;  a  final  provision 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  none  of  the  lands  were  to  be 
settled  until  payments  have  been  made. 

On  October  27,  1787,  Manasseh  Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sar- 
gent bought  of  the  Congress  1,500,000  acres  of  land  lying  in  the 
tract  as  marked  off  in  the  Resolution  of  July  23,  1787.  Cutler 
and  Sargent  purchased  a  large  tract  on  their  own  account. 
Other  friends  were  let  in  on  the  ground  floor  and  arrangements 
made  for  the  sale  of  the  land  in  smaller  lots.  An  agent  was 
sent  to  Europe  to  place  this  land  on  the  market  in  that  country. 
Considerable  of  this  land  was  sold  in  France  and  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  French  made  a  settlement  at  a  place  they  called  Gal- 
lipolis — the  city  of  the  Gauls.  On  the  29th  of  August  John 
Cleves  S'ymmes  applied  for  a  permit  to  purchase  a  large  tract 
on  the  Miami  River.  As  a  result  of  his  petition  the  Congress 
sold  to  Symmes  and  his  associates  1,000,000  acres,  the  sale  was 
afterwards  modified  and  the  amount  reduced. 

Provisions  in  Ordinance 

1.  The  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River  shall  for  the 
purposes  of  government  be  considered  one  district,  but  may  be 
divided  into  two  if  found  expedient. 

2.  The  estates  of  persons  dying  intestate  shall  descend  to  the 
children  of  said  person  in  equal  parts.  If  there  are  no  children 
then  to  nearest  of  kin. 

10V1 


226  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

3.  Estates  may  be  bequeathed  by  wills  in  writing,  and  real 
estate  may  be  transferred  by  deed,  signed,  sealed,  and  delivered. 

4.  The  laws  for  the  descent  of  property  in  Kaskaskia,  St. 
Vincents,  and  other  French  villages  shall  remain  unchanged  by 
this  ordinance. 

5.  For  purposes  of  government  Congress  shall  from  time  to 
time  support  a  governor  who  shall  serve  three  years  who  shall 
reside  in  the  said  territory.  There  shall  be  a  secretary  who 
shall  serve  four  years ;  he  also  must  reside  in  the  said  territory. 
The  duties  of  the  secretary  shall  be  such  as  devolve  upon  sim- 
ilar officials  in  like  situations.  The  Congress  shall  appoint  a 
court  consisting  of  three  judges  who  shall  live  in  the  territory. 
Their  appointments  shall  run  during  good  behavior. 

6.  The  governor  and  judges  shall  adopt  and  publish  such 
laws  of  the  original  states,  criminal  and  civil,  as  may  be  neces- 
sary and  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  district.  These  laws  must 
be  reported  to  Congress  from  time  to  time. 

7.  The  governor  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  militia, 
appoint  and  commission  all  officers  in  the  militia. 

8.  The  governor  for  the  time  being  shall  appoint  civil  of- 
ficers for  the  counties,  townships,  etc. 

9.  After  territorial  legislatures  are  organized,  these  shall 
make  laws  for  appointments  to  civil  offices  in  the  counties,  etc. 

10.  The  laws  adopted  shall  be  in  force  in  all  parts  of  the 
district.  The  governor  shall  lay  out  and  organize  counties  for 
the  more  convenient  execution  of  law  and  the  preservation  of 
order. 

11.  When  the  population  has  reached  5,000  free  male  inhab- 
itants 21  years  of  age  there  shall  be  organized  a  territorial 
Legislature  made  up  of  representatives  elected  from  the  sev- 
eral counties  or  other  units.  The  appointment  being  one  rep- 
resentative for  every  500  free  male  inhabitants.  There  were 
property  and  residence  qualifications  for  both  electors  and  rep- 
resentatives. Vacancies  in  the  representation  should  be  filled 
by  election. 

12.  There  should  be  a  legislative  council  made  up  of  five 
members  holding  office  for  five  years.  These  five  councilors 
were  to  be  selected  by  Congress  from  a  list  of  ten  nominated 
by  the  Legislature. 

13.  The  legislative  functions  of  government  shall  be  exer- 
cised by  the  governor,  the  council,  and  the  representatives. 
Bills  passing  both  houses  of  the  Legislature,  and  being  signed 
by  the  governor,  become  laws.  The  governor  had  the  power  to 
convene,  prorogue,  and  dissolve  the  Legislature. 

14.  The  two  houses  of  the  Legislature  in  joint  session  shall 
elect  a  delegate  to  Congress  who  shall  have  all  rights  of  mem- 
bers except  voting. 

15.  For  the  purpose  of  extending  the  fundamental  principles 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  227 

of  civil  and  religious  liberty  which  form  the  basis  of  these  re=. 
publics;  and  "to  fix  and  establish  those  principles  as  the  basis 
of  all  laws,  constitutions,  and  governments  which  forever  here- 
after shall  be  formed  in  the  said  territory;  to  provide,  also,  for 
the  establishment  of  states  and  permanent  government  therein ; 
and  for  their  admission  to  a  share  in  the  federal  councils  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  original  states." 

Following  the  outline  of  government  as  given  above  there 
were  six  articles  which  constitute  a  sort  of  Bill  of  Rights  such 
as  are  found  in  the  constitutions  of  most  of  the  states  today. 
The  Ordinance  of  1787  regarded  the  articles  which  are  given 
below  as  "articles  of  compact  between  the  original  states  and 
the  people  and  states  in  the  said  territory,  and  forever  remain 
unalterable  unless  by  common  consent. 

Bill  of  Rights 

Art.  1.  No  person,  demeaning  himself  in  a  peaceable  and  or- 
derly manner,  shall  ever  be  molested  on  account  of  his  mode 
of  worship  or  religious  sentiments,  in  the  said  territory. 

Art.  2.  The  inhabitants  shall  always  be  entitled  to  the  bene- 
fits of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  of  trial  by  jury. 

They  shall  be  entitled  to  proportionate  representation  in  the 
Legislature,  and  of  judicial  proceedings. 

All  persons  shall  be  entitled  to  bail  except  in  capital  cases. 
All  fines  shall  be  moderate,  and  cruel  and  unusual  punishments 
shall  never  be  inflicted. 

No  man  shall  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  or  property,  but  by 
the  judgment  of  his  peers,  or  the  law  of  the  land. 

No  law  shall  ever  be  made  which  shall  interfere  with  con- 
tracts previously  entered  into,  if  bona  fide  and  without  fraud. 

Art.  3.  Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge,  being  necessary 
to  good  government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and 
the  means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged. 

Good  faith  towards  the  Indians  shall  be  observed,  and  their 
property,  rights  and  liberty  shall  not  be  invaded  unless  in  just 
wars  authorized  by  Congress. 

Art.  4.  The  said  territory,  and  the  states  which  may  be 
formed  therein,  shall  forever  remain  a  part  of  this  confederacy 
of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  inhabitants  and  settlers  in  the  said  territory  shall  be 
subject  to  pay  a  part  of  the  federal  debt,  contracted  or  to  be 
contracted. 

The  legislatures  of  those  districts,  or  new  states,  shall  never 
interfere  with  the  primary  disposal  of  the  soil  by  the  United 
States  in  Congress  assembled,  nor  with  any  regulations  Con- 
gress may  find  necessary  for  securing  the  title  in  such  soil,  to 
the  bona  fide  purchasers. 

Art.  5.    There  shall  be  formed  in  the  said  territory  not  less 


228  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

than  three,  nor  more  than  five  states,  with  boundaries  as  fol- 
lows :  The  state  farthest  west  shall  be  bound  by  the  Mississippi, 
the  Ohio,  and  the  Wabash  and  the  meridian  of  Vincennes,  and 
on  the  north  by  Canada.  The  middle  state  by  the  meridian  of 
Vincennes,  the  Wabash,  the  Ohio  and  the  meridian  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  on  the  north  by  Canada.  The 
eastern  state  shall  be  bounded  by  the  meridian  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Great  Miami,  the  Ohio,  and  Pennsylvania,  and  on  the  north 
by  Canada. 

But  Congress  may  run  an  east  and  west  line  through  the 
southerly  bend  of  Lake  Michigan  and  form  two  states  out  of 
the  territory  to  the  north  of  this  line. 

When  any  one  of  these  states  shall  have  60,000  free  inhab- 
itants it  may  be  admitted  as  a  state  into  the  Union,  on  equal 
footing  with  the  old  thirteen  states. 

Art.  6.  Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  shall  exist 
in  the  said  territory  except  as  a  punishment  for  crime,  whereof 
the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted. 

Slaves  or  involuntary  servants  escaping  into  the  said  territory 
shall  be  delivered  up  to  the  ones  to  whom  such  labor  or  service 
is  due. 

The  Movement  Westwakd 

The  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler  had  quietly  done  a  great  work. 
He  had  served  his  company  well,  but  he  had  rendered  a  great 
service  to  the  millions  who  were  to  be  the  pioneers  in  the  North- 
west Territory.  Not  only  so,  but  he  marked  out  in  the  ordinance 
the  fundamental  principles  upon  which  government  was  built 
in  most  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  In  fact  the  Ordinance  of 
1787  contained  the  most  rational  plan  of  colonization  which  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  As  the  United  States  has  come  into  pos- 
session of  more  territory,  the  principles  so  clearly  marked  out 
in  the  Ordinance  of  1787  have  been  applied  to  the  settlement 
and  government  of  the  new  colonies  which  sprang  up  on  the 
new  lands. 

The  Ordinance  of  1784  and  the  one  of  1785  brought  no  set- 
tlers into  the  lands  west  and  north  of  the  Ohio  River.  The  work 
of  surveying  the  territory  west  of  the  Ohio  was  proceeding,  and 
for  the  purpose  of  aiding  and  protecting  the  people  thus  en- 
gaged a  fort  was  erected  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Muskingum 
in  the  year  1786.  The  fort  was  called  Fort  Harmer  in  honor 
of  General  Harmer  who  was  in  charge  of  the  protection  of  the 
people  in  the  Northwest  Territory. 

The  ordinance  was  passed  July  13,  1787.  Doctor  Cutler  and 
Winthrop  Sargent  closed  their  purchase  deal  with  Congress  for 
the  1,500,000  acres  lying  west  of  the  "seven  ranges"  and  east 
of  the  Scioto  River,  October  27,  1787.  But  there  must  have 
been  considerable  activity  around  the  offices  of  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany of  Associates  through  the  summer  of  1787,  for  "before 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  229 

the  end  of  the  year  1787,  the  vanguard  of  the  first  colony  was 
on  the  march  through  Pennsylvania  to  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Ohio.  They  reached  Youghiogheny  River  somewhere  in  the 
vicinity  of  Fort  Necessity  on  January  23,  1788,  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1788,  a  second  division  of  the  New  England  adven- 
turers arrived.  Here  they  constructed  boats  in  which  they  were 
to  descend  the  Ohio.  In  several  boats  led  by  the  Mayflower  the 
expedition  moved  down  the  Ohio.  On  April  7,  1788,  Gen.  Rufus 
Putnam,  a  hero  of  two  wars,  might  have  been  seen  standing 
majestically  on  the  deck  of  the  Mayflower  as  the  fleet  neared 
the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum.  This  New  England  colony  num- 
bered forty-eight  souls — men. 

Here  was  a  beginning  from  which  great  enterprises  were  to 
develop.  They  began  the  spring  work  in  regular  pioneer  style. 
Trees  were  felled,  foundations  were  laid,  a  city  was  begun,  a 
stockade  was  erected  and  lo !  the  City  of  Marietta  and  Camp 
Martius  stand  forth,  April  7,  1788.  Not  far  behind  this  van- 
guard of  emigrants  we  see  coming  the  strong  arm  of  the  gov- 
ernment, the  officials  who  are  to  secure  the  guarantees  laid 
down  in  the  compact  of  the  ordinance. 

Territory  First  Class 

On  October  5,  1787,  Congress  selected  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair 
as  governor  of  the  new  territory,  and  Winthrop  Sargent  for 
secretary.  A  short  time  after  Samuel  Holden  Parsons,  James 
M.  Varnum,  and  John  Cleves  Symmes  were  chosen  judges. 
These  men  were  all  public  spirited  citizens.  These  men  were  not 
only  interested  from  the  standpoint  of  public  spirit,  but  most  of 
them  were  interested  in  the  grants  of  land  which  have  been 
mentioned  above. 

Two  of  the  judges  and  probably  the  secretary  reached  Mari- 
etta shortly  after  the  landing  of  the  settlers.  On  July  4th  was 
held  the  first  celebration  of  Independence  Day  west  of  the  Ohio. 
Judge  Varnum  was  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
had  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  It  was  thought  proper 
that  Judge  Varnum  should  give  the  oration.  Governor  St. 
Clair  landed  at  Marietta  July  9,  and  was  received  with  appro- 
priate civic  and  military  honors.  On  the  15th  of  July,  the 
governor  and  secretary,  and  Judges  Parsons  and  Varnum  were 
formally  received  by  the  citizens  of  Marietta.  General  Putnam 
welcomed  the  officials  to  the  scene  of  their  future  labors.  The 
first  session  of  the  governor  and  the  judges  as  a  legislative  body 
was  held  on  the  26th  of  July.  At  this  session  the  County  of 
Washington  was  created.  The  county  included  the  territory  in 
the  region  of  the  new  town  and  Fort  Harmer.  Marietta  was 
made  the  county  seat.  Later  on  a  local  court  was  organized, 
judges,  sheriff  and  other  officials  appointed  and  installed.  This 
was  all  done  with  considerable  ceremony.     The  sheriff  opened 


230  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

court  in  the  old  English  style.  From  an  elevated  place  he  made 
the  accustomed  proclamation :  "0,  yes !  a  court  is  open  for  the 
administration  of  even-handed  justice  to  the  poor  and  the  rich, 
to  the  guilty  and  the  innocent,  without  respect  of  persons ;  none 
to  be  punished  without  trial  by  their  peers,  and  then  in  pur- 
suance of  the  laws  and  evidence  in  the  case."  Paul  Fearing 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  was  the  first  practicing  attorney 
under  the  government  of  the  Northwest  Territory. 

The  legislative  body  then  turned  its  attention  to  the  enact- 
ment of  laws.  The  following  abstract  follows  Dillon's  "His- 
torical Notes" : 

1.  The  first  law  was  one  providing  for  the  establishment  of 
a  militia  system  in  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

2.  A  law  providing  for  Courts  of  Quarter  Sessions,  County 
Courts  of  Common  Pleas,  and  a  law  providing  for  the  office  of 
sheriff,  and  for  the  appointment  of  sheriffs. 

3.  Another  law  providing  for  the  establishment  of  court  of 
probate. 

4.  A  law  providing  for  the  sitting  of  the  general  court  in 
the  territory  to  hear  general  cases  beyond  the  adjudication  of 
the  courts  of  the  counties.  This  court  was  to  be  held  by  the 
three  judges  or  by  any  two  of  them.  They  were  to  be  held 
four  times  a  year  in  such  counties  as  suits  the  pleasure  of  the 
judges.  This  general  court  shall  have  civil  and  criminal  juris- 
diction. The  law  provided  for  adjournment  of  sessions  and  for 
continuance  of  processes. 

5.  A  law  was  enacted  providing  for  oaths  of  office  for  the 
several  officials  in  the  several  counties. 

6.  A  law  respecting  crimes  and  the  punishments  thereof. 
Treason,  murder,  and  arson,  if  death  results,  are  punishable  by 
death.  Burglary  and  robbery,  by  whipping,  fines  and  imprison- 
ment. Minor  offenses  were  punishable  by  fines,  whippings,  dis- 
franchisement, or  the  pillory.  Offenders  who  could  not  pay 
their  fines  were  sold  by  the  sheriff  for  limited  terms  according 
to  the  offense. 

Children  or  servants  who  were  disobedient  to  the  commands 
of  their  parents  or  masters  might  be  sent  to  a  house  of  cor- 
rection by  the  courts. 

Drunken  persons  were  to  be  fined  for  the  first  offense  five 
dimes,  for  the  second  offense  ten  dimes  and  for  the  third  they 
could  be  sent  to  the  stocks. 

"Whereas,  idle,  vain  and  obscene  conversation,  profane  curs- 
ing and  swearing,  and  more  especially  the  irreverently  mention- 
ing, calling  upon,  or  invoking  the  Sacred  and  Supreme  Being, 
by  any  of  the  divine  characters  in  which  he  hath  graciously 
condescended  to  reveal  his  infinitely  beneficent  purposes  to  man- 
kind, are  repugnant  to  every  moral  sentiment,  subversive  of 
every  civil  obligation,  inconsistent  with  the  ornaments  of  pol- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  231 

ished  life,  and  abhorrent  to  the  principles  of  the  most  benevo- 
lent religion.  It  is  expected,  therefore,  if  crimes  of  this  kind 
should  exist,  they  will  not  find  encouragement,  countenance,  or 
approbation  in  this  territory.  It  is  strictly  enjoined  upon  all 
officers  and  ministers  of  justice,  upon  parents  and  others,  heads 
of  families,  and  upon  others  of  every  description,  that  they 
abstain  from  practices  so  vile  and  irrational;  and  that  by  ex- 
ample and  precept,  to  the  utmost  of  their  power  they  prevent 
the  necessity  of  adopting  and  publishing  laws,  with  penalties 
upon  this  head.  And  it  is  hereby  declared  that  the  Government 
will  consider  as  unworthy  its  confidence  all  those  who  may  ob- 
stinately violate  these  injunctions." 

This  quotation  has  been  made  at  length  to  enable  the  reader 
to  obtain  some  insight  into  the  notions  that  the  people  of  that 
time  held  relative  to  profanity.  In  an  additional  paragraph 
the  governor  and  judges  lay  down  the  rule  governing  labor  and 
acts  of  charity  upon  the  Lord's  day  or  the  first  day  of  the  week. 

7.  A  law  regulating  marriages.  Marriage  contracts  cannot 
be  consummated  unless  the  intention  of  the  parties  to  the  con- 
tract is  published  at  least  fifteen  days  before  the  marriage.  The 
means  of  publicity  was  announcement  in  the  place  of  worship 
three  different  Sundays  or  holy  days,  or  by  publishing  through 
a  written  statement  acknowledged  before  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
etc. 

8.  This  was  a  supplementary  law  pertaining  to  Act  1  rela- 
tive to  the  organization  of  the  militia. 

9.  A  law  providing  for  the  exercise  of  authority  by  the 
coroner. 

10.  A  limitation  of  the  time  of  commencing  civil  and  crim- 
inal actions. 

The  governor  and  the  judges  spent  the  fall  and  early  winter 
on  the  foregoing  legislation  and  in  conferences  with  the  Indians 
in  the  region  about  the  lakes.  On  January  9,  1789,  Governor 
St.  Clair  began  to  treat  with  the  Six  Nations,  the  Wyandottes, 
Delawares,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Pottawattomies,  and  Sacs. 
These  treaties  secured  peace  at  least  for  a  while  with  these 
troublesome  neighbors. 

On  June  15,  1789,  General  Knox,  secretary  of  war,  sent  a 
long  communication  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  in 
which  he  gives  the  distressing  fact  that  defenseless  whites  along 
the  Ohio  have  been  brutally  killed  by  savages  who  seem  to  have 
headquarters  along  the  Wabash.  The  secretary  reports  2,000 
warriors  about  Vincennes,  and  the  United  States  troops  on  the 
border  do  not  exceed  600.  President  Washington  was  greatly 
distressed  at  the  dangerous  situation  for  the  settlers  along  the 
Ohio.  In  an  official  communication  to  Governor  St.  Clair  he 
ordered  the  governor  to  proceed  with  dispatch,  if  with  safety, 
to  the  locality  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes  that  the  inhabitants 


232  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

in  those  and  other  villages  might  have  confirmed  to  them  the 
lands  which  Congress  had  promised  them  in  1785.  This  was 
that  the  Congress  would  confirm  their  lands  to  all  inhabitants 
of  the  Illinois  country  who  were  residents  in  Illinois  in  1783 
and  who  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Great  Britain. 

Counties  Organized 

Governor  St.  Clair,  the  Secretary,  and  the  Judges  left  Marietta 
about  January  1,  1790,  and  went  down  the  Ohio  River  to  a  place 
called  Losantiville,  the  present  city  of  Cincinnati.  Here  the  gov- 
ernor by  executive  order  created  a  county  which  he  named 
Hamilton,  the  county  seat  he  called  Cincinnati.  The  site  had 
been  selected  for  a  town  and  its  name  was  to  be  Losantiville. 
But  it  is  said  no  houses  had  been  built  and  there  was  no  town 
there  when  Governor  St.  Clair  reached  it  in  1790.  In  1795  there 
were  fifteen  small  frame  houses  and  as  many  log  cabins.  There 
was  not  a  brick  in  the  town. 

From  Cincinnati  the  governor  and  the  other  officials  proceeded 
to  Kaskaskia  which  they  reached  in  the  early  part  of  March, 
1790.  Governor  Reynolds,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  the  year  1800, 
had  an  opportunity  to  obtain  first  hand  inf  ormation  with  regard 
to  conditions  in  Illinois  not  only  at  the  time  he  came  but  for 
several  years  before  the  date  of  his  coming.  Governor  Reynolds 
estimated  that  in  1800  there  were  2,000  white  people  in  Illinois. 
Of  these  he  says  800  were  Americans,  while  1,200  were  French 
or  French  descendants.  The  proportion  of  Americans  to  French 
which  Governor  Reynolds  found  in  1800,  would  not  be  that  of 
1790  when  Governor  St.  Clair  arrived.  The  American  popula- 
tion grew  very  much  in  the  decade  from  1790  to  1800,  but  there 
was  evidently  no  growth  in  the  number  of  habitants.  The  Hon. 
E.  B.  Washburne,  who  has  written  a  charming  sketch  of  Edward 
Coles,  the  second  governor  of  Illinois,  in  discussing  the  make-up 
of  the  early  people,  says:  "The  earliest  inhabitants  of  Illinois 
were  French  Canadians,  and  emigrants  from  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, and  North  Carolina — The  emigration  from  Kentucky  was 
by  far  the  best,  Tennessee  was  below  Kentucky,  and  the  North 
Carolina  emigration  was  mostly  "poor  whites."  This  is  partly 
accounted  for  by  saying  that  the  Americans  were  from  slave 
states  and  only  the  non-slave  holding  people  came  into  the  West 
and  it  was  that  class  that  was  poor. 

St.  Clair  County 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  people  were  poor  and 
ignorant  and  unstable  in  their  attachments,  the  governor  pro- 
ceeded to  lay  off  a  county  which  by  some  hook  or  crook  was 
named  St.  Clair.  It  was  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Illinois  and 
the  Mississippi,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio,  and  on  the  north- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  233 

east  by  a  straight  line  drawn  from  the  Illinois  River  at  the  mouth 
of  Mackinaw  Creek  to  Fort  Massac  on  the  Ohio.  The  county 
officials  appointed  by  Governor  St.  Clair  were  as  follows :  Sheriff, 
William  Biggs;  coroner,  Charles  le  Fevre;  surveyor,  Antoine 
Gerardin;  captains,  John  Edgar,  J.  B.  Dubergin,  Philip  Engle, 
F.  Janis,  James  Piggott;  notary  public,  Joseph  La  Bussiere; 
judges  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  Jean  Baptiste  Barbeau,  John 
Edgar,  Antoine  Gerardin,  Philip  Engle,  John  de  Moulin;  Court 
of  Quarter  Sessions,  John  Edgar,  Philip  Engle,  Antoine  Gerar- 
din, Antoine  Louviers ;  justices  court  of  St.  Clair  County,  Francis 
Trottier,  E.  Janis,  Nicholas  Smith,  James  Piggott,  B.  Saneier; 
judge  of  probate,  Bartholomew  Tardeveau ;  clerk  and  recorder 
of  deeds,  Wm.  St.  Clair. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  in  several  cases  the  same  man  was  ap- 
pointed to  more  than  one  office.  It  will  be  noticed  also  that 
about  twenty  out  of  twenty-eight  positions  were  held  by  French 
citizens.  Cahokia  was  made  the  county  seat.  It  appears  that 
all  this  organization  work  was  done  while  the  governor  was 
sojourning  at  Kaskaskia,  though  Cahokia  was  made  the  county 
capital. 

The  third  task  was  the  problem  of  land  claims.  After  he  had 
gotten  the  official  list  made  up,  the  governor  put  out  a  proclama- 
tion in  which  all  the  citizens  were  notified  to  come  to  his  office 
and  present  their  titles  to  the  lands  they  claimed.  Colonel  Todd 
had  required  the  same  thing  at  the  hands  of  the  land  owners.  It 
was  the  purpose  to  make  records  of  all  claims  as  a  matter  of 
precaution.  As  a  result  of  this  order  a  great  many  brought  in 
their  titles  and  their  claims  were  recorded.  The  governor  in  a 
report  to  the  United  States  secretary  of  state  said:  "Orders 
of  survey  were  issued  for  all  the  claims  at  Kaskaskia,  that  ap- 
peared to  be  founded  agreeably  to  the  resolutions  of  Congress; 
and  surveys  were  made  of  a  greater  part  of  them.  A  part  only 
of  those  surveys,  however,  have  been  returned,  because  the  people 
objected  to  paying  the  surveyor,  and  it  is  too  true  that  they 
"are  ill  able  to  pay."  Governor  St.  Clair  said  the  settlements  in 
Illinois  on  the  Wabash  were  in  great  distress  and,  had  been 
since  they  came  under  Clark's  domain.  The  people  in  Kaskaskia 
and  in  other  towns  had  furnished  supplies  for  the  troops  under 
General  Clark  with  everything  they  could  spare  and  had  been 
paid  in  a  currency  that  was  without  value,  and  when  they  had 
presented  their  claims  to  the  State  of  Virginia  their  claims  had 
been  rejected.  In  addition  to  the  loss  of  what  was  justly  due 
them  from  the  State  of  Virginia  nature  had  been  very  hard  on 
them.  There  had  been  three  inundations  of  the  American  Bot- 
tom within  recent  years  and  their  crops  had  either  been  swept 
away  or  they  had  been  hinderd  from  planting.  In  addition  to 
all  this  the  governor  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Indians 
had  been  unfaithful  and  had  in  some  instances  been  even  hostile. 


234  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

"They  are  the  most  ignorant  people  in  the  world,  there  is  not  a 
fiftieth  man  that  can  either  read  or  write."  The  following 
memorial  signed  by  Father  Gibault,  Priest,  presents  a  sad  pic- 
ture: 

A  Memorial 

(Abridged) 

St.  Clair  County,  June  9th,  1790. 
To  His  Excellency  Arthur  St.  Clair, 

Governor  and  Commander-in-chief 

Of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States 
Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio. 

The  memorial  humbly  showeth  that  by  an  act  of  Congress  of 
June  20,  1788,  it  was  declared  that  the  lands  heretofore  possessed 
by  the  said  inhabitants  should  be  surveyed  at  their  expense ;  and 
that  this  clause  appears  to  them  neither  necessary  nor  adapted  to 
quiet  the  minds  of  the  people.  It  does  not  appear  necessary, 
because  from  the  establishment  of  the  colony  to  this  day,  they 
have  enjoyed  their  property  and  possessions  without  disputes 
or  lawsuits  on  the  subject  of  their  limits;  that  the  surveys  of 
them  were  made  at  the  time  the  concessions  were  obtained  from 
their  ancient  Kings,  Lords  and  Commandants ;  and  each  of  them 
knew  what  belonged  to  him  without  attempting  an  encroachment 
on  his  neighbor,  or  fearing  that  his  neighbor  would  encroach  on 
him.  It  does  not  appear  adapted  to  pacify  them,  because,  instead 
of  assuring  to  them  the  peaceable  possessions  of  their  ancient 
inheritance,  as  they  have  enjoyed  it  till  now,  that  clause  obliges 
them  to  bear  expenses  which,  in  their  present  situation,  they  are 
absolutely  incapable  of  paying,  and  for  the  failure  of  which  they 
must  be  deprived  of  their  lands. 

Your  Excellency  is  an  eye  witness  of  the  poverty  to  which  the 
inhabitants  are  reduced,  and  of  the  total  want  of  provision  to 
subsist  on.  Not  knowing  where  to  find  a  morsel  of  bread  to 
nourish  their  families,  by  what  means  can  they  support  the  ex- 
pense of  a  survey  which  has  not  been  sought  for  on  their  parts, 
and  for  which,  it  is  conceived  by  them,  there  is  no  necessity? 
Loaded  with  misery,  and  groaning  under  the  weight  of  misfor- 
tunes accumulated  since  the  Virginia  troops  entered  their 
country,  the  unhappy  inhabitants  throw  themselves  under  the 
protection  of  your  Excellency,  and  take  the  liberty  to  solicit  you 
to  lay  their  deplorable  situation  before  the  Congress ;  and,  as  it 
may  be  interesting  for  the  United  States  to  know  exactly  the 
extent  and  limits  of  their  ancient  possessions  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain the  lands  which  are  yet  at  the  disposal  of  Congress,  it  ap- 
pears to  them,  in  their  humble  opinion,  that  the  expense  of  the 
survey  ought  more  properly  to  be  borne  by  Congress,  for  whom 
alone  it  is  useful,  than  by  them  who  do  not  feel  the  necessity  of 
it.    Besides,  this  is  no  object  for  the  United  States,  but  it  is  great, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  235 

too  great,  for  a  few  unhappy  beings  who,  your  Excellency  sees 
yourself,  are  scarcely  able  to  support  their  pitiful  existence." 

Signed,  Fr.  P.  Gibault, 
and  Eighty-seven  Others. 

In  January,  1790,  before  Governor  St.  Clair  left  Clarksville 
on  the  Ohio  for  Kaskaskia,  he  sent  to  Major  Hamtramck,  the 
officer  in  command  at  Post  Vincennes,  some  speeches  which  he 
asked  to  have  delivered  to  the  several  Indian  tribes  on  the  Wa- 
bash. Major  Hamtramck  selected  Antoine  Gamelin  as  one  who 
could  translate  these  speeches  to  the  Indians  and  do  it  in  such  a 
way  as  to  leave  the  best  impression  possible.  Mr.  Gamelin  per- 
formed this  service  in  the  early  summer  of  1790  and  returned 
to  Vincennes  in  June  of  that  year.  He  reported  that  on  the 
whole  his  mission  had  been  fruitless.  He  reported  that  the 
Indians  were  in  an  ugly  mood  and  that  they  were  already  on 
the  war  path.  When  Governor  St.  Clair  received  this  word  he 
immediately  prepared  to  return  to  Fort  Harmer  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  an  army  for  the  safety  of  the  settlements  in  the 
Northwest.  Before  leaving  Kaskaskia  to  return  to  Fort  Harmer, 
he  deputized  Winthrop  Sargent  to  complete  the  work  of  making 
a  permanent  record  of  the  lands  claimed  by  the  citizens  on  the 
Mississippi  and  the  Wabash.  He  was  also  directed  to  lay  out 
and  organize  a  county  with  Vincennes  as  the  county  seat. 

Sargent  proceeded  immediately  to  Vincennes  where  he  laid 
out  Knox  County,  established  the  county  seat  at  Vincennes,  ap- 
pointed the  various  civil  and  military  officers  and  began  the 
work  of  making  records  of  the  land  claims  presented  by  the 
citizens.  Mr.  Sargent  in  reporting  his  work  to  the  President 
said  there  was  an  utter  lack  of  system  in  the  few  records  that 
had  been  kept  and  the  only  evidence  to  rely  upon  was  the  oral 
testimony  of  the  land  claimant  and  his  neighbors.  He  reported 
that  not  more  than  one  case  in  twenty  were  the  records  complete. 
"In  one  instance,  and  during  the  government  of  Mr.  St.  Ange 
here,  a  royal  notary  ran  off  with  all  public  papers  in  his  posses- 
sion, as  by  a  certificate  produced  to  me.  And  I  am  very  sorry 
further  to  observe  that  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Le  Grand,  which  con- 
tinued from  1777  to  1787,  and  where  should  have  been  the 
vouchers  for  important  land  transactions,  the  records  have  been 
so  falsified,  and  there  is  much  gross  fraud  and  forgery  as  to 
invalidate  all  evidence  and  information  which  I  might  otherwise 
have  acquired  from  his  papers." 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1790,  there  were  143  heads  of  families 
living  in  Vincennes  who  were  living  there  in  1783.  This  period 
of  residence  entitled  the  individual  to  a  grant  of  land  which  the 
Government  was  authorized  to  confirm  to  the  individual. 

Congress  on  March  3d,  1791,  passed  a  law  which  provided  that 
the  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  empowered,  in 
cases  where  lands  had  been  actually  improved  and  cultivated 


236  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

under  a  supposed  grant  from  some  one  in  authority,  to  confirm 
to  such  person,  his  heirs,  and  assigns,  the  land  which  he  had 
improved  and  cultivated;  provided  not  more  than  400  acres 
should  be  confirmed  to  any  one  person.  Secretary  Sargent  was 
so  fair  and  yet  so  firm  in  the  administration  of  the  functions  of 
temporary  governor  that  the  people  of  Vincennes  sent  him  a 
communication  expressing  their  great  delight  and  entire  satis- 
faction in  his  conduct  of  the  governor's  office. 

By  reason  of  the  lack  of  proper  military  organization  the  at- 
tack upon  the  Indians  in  Northern  Indiana  and  elsewhere  in  the 
North  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  General  Harmer  and  General  St. 
Clair  in  two  campaigns  and  the  military  forces  were  put  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  who  eventually  (1794) 
forced  the  Indians  to  sue  for  peace.  But  those  unsettled  condi- 
tions took  the  attention  of  the  governor  and  his  associates  in 
government  and  little  attention  was  given  to  Illinois  and  the 
settlements  lapsed  into  a  listless  order  of  civil  and  political  life 
not  much  different  from  that  prior  to  the  coming  of  St.  Clair. 

Immigration 

The  Indian  wars  very  greatly  retarded  the  growth  of  popula- 
tion through  immigration.  Governor  St.  Clair  estimated  that 
there  were  only  15,000  inhabitants  in  the  Northwest  Territory 
in  1795.  But  following  the  victory  of  General  Wayne  over  the 
Indians  on  the  Maumee  River  in  1794  there  was  a  continually 
increasing  number  of  immigrants  into  the  Northwest  Territory. 
Very  naturally  most  of  these  immigrants  stopped  in  Ohio,  a 
smaller  number  came  into  Indiana,  and  a  still  smaller  number 
into  Illinois.  The  treaty  of  Greenville  which  was  signed  in  1795 
lulled  all  suspicion  of  the  whites,  and  there  was  a  tendensy  be- 
tween the  whites  and  Indians  to  hold  friendly  intercourse  with 
one  another.  "Forts,  stations,  and  stockades  were  abandoned 
to  decay;  the  hardy  pioneer  pushed  ever  forward  and  extended 
the  frontier;  and  men  of  capital  and  enterprise,  securing  titles 
to  extensive  bodies  of  fertile  lands,  organized  colonies  for  their 
occupation,  and  thus  the  wilderness  under  the  tread  of  civiliza- 
tion was  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 

Following  the  departure  of  Governor  St.  Clair  in  1790,  the 
Illinois  country  made  little  or  no  progress.  There  was  a  goodly 
number  of  immigrants  arrived,  but  governmental  question 
lagged.  The  general  government  had  taken  the  governor  and 
the  three  judges  to  task  for  making  laws  instead  of  adopting 
laws  from  the  other  states.  The  three  judges  had  assumed 
additional  functions  as  the  Government  became  more  compli- 
cated. It  was  a  court  of  original  and  appellate  jurisdiction  in 
civil  and  criminal  cases.    There  was  no  appeal  from  its  decisions. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  237 

It  therefore  soon  came  to  be  called  a  supreme  court.  It  was 
occupied  more  in  Ohio,  at  Marietta  and  Cincinnati,  than  in  the 
Western  country.  There  was  no  session  in  Illinois  from  1790  to 
1794.  In  1793  St.  Clair  sent  word  to  the  judges  that  court  should 
be  held  in  Illinois.  But  it  was  October,  1794,  before  Judge 
Turner  reached  Kaskaskia.  He  had  just  previously  held  court 
at  Vincennes  and  had  encountered  much  opposition  there,  and 
by  the  time  he  reached  Kaskaskia  he  was  in  a  resentful  frame 
of  mind.  While  Cahokia  was  the  county  seat  the  official  life 
seemed  to  be  at  Kaskaskia.  There  was  a  lack  of  interest  in 
political  life  in  St.  Clair  County  and  Judge  Turner  attempted 
to  correct  some  faulty  conditions  as  he  saw  them.  He  therefore 
ordered  the  court  records  to  be  removed  from  Cahokia  to  Kas- 
kaskia. The  clerk,  Mr.  William  St.  Clair,  brother  to  General  St. 
Clair,  the  governor,  refused  to  obey  the  judge.  The  judge  re- 
moved the  clerk  and  put  the  records  in  the  hands  of  a  Mr.  Jones. 
William  St.  Clair  then  resigned  as  clerk  of  the  court,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  North  end  of  the  country  signed  a  very  com- 
plaining remonstrance.  Governor  St.  Clair  restored  his  brother 
as  clerk  and  ordered  him  to  take  charge  of  the  records.  Governor 
St.  Clair  was  detained  at  Cincinnati,  but  he  and  Judge  Symmes 
arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in  the  early  part  of  1795.  It  appears  that 
Judge  Turner  had  left  this  part  of  Illinois.  Governor  St.  Clair 
in  conjunction  with  Judge  Symmes  divided  St.  Clair  County  into 
two  counties  by  the  following : 

Randolph  County 

A  Proclamation. 
Whereas,  the  division  of  the  County  of  St.  Clair  into  districts, 
etc. — Now  Know  ye,  that  by  virtue  of  the  power  vested  in  me  by 
the  United  States,  I  have  ordered  and  ordained  and  by  these 
presents,  do  order  and  ordain,  that  all  and  singular,  the  lands 
lying  and  being  within  the  following  boundaries,  viz :  Beginning 
at  the  Cave  Spring,  a  little  south  of  New  Design,  and  running 
thence  due  east  to  the  line  of  the  County  of  Knox,  and  thence 
south  with  that  line  to  the  Ohio  River,  thence  with  the  Ohio  to 
the  Mississippi,  thence  with  the  Mississippi  to  the  parallel  of 
the  said  Cave  spring,  and  thence  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall 
be  a  county  named  and  hereafter  to  be  known  and  called  by  the 
name  Randolph,  which  said  County  of  Randolph  shall  have  and 
enjoy,  all  and  singular,  jurisdiction  and  rights,  liberties  and 
immunities  whatsoever  to  a  county  appertaining,  and  which  any 
county  that  now  is  or  hereafter  may  be  erected  and  laid  out  shall 
or  ought  to  enjoy  conformably  to  the  ordinance  of  Congress  for 
the  government  of  the  Territory  Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio, 
bearing  date  the  15th  day  of  July,  1787. 


238  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

In  testimony,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the 
seal  of  the  Territory  to  be  affixed,  at  Cahokia,  in  the  County  of 
St.  Clair,  the  5th  day  of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1795, 
and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  the  twentieth. 

Arthur  St.  Clair,  Governor. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

NORTHWEST  TERRITORY— FIRST  AND  SECOND  CLASS 

The  Old  Congress — First  Class — Second  Class — Delegate 
— Territory  Divided 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  for  a  progressive  system  of 
government  for  the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River.  The 
more  one  studies  this  basic  law,  the  more  he  wonders  that  it 
should  have  come  from  a  body  of  men,  the  congress  under  the 
Articles  of  Confederation,  with  so  little  experience  in  self-gov- 
ernment. 

The  Old  Congress 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  old  Congress  had  dropped  to 
a  very  low  ebb  in  political  life  by  the  year  1787.  Many  of  the 
public  men  of  the  several  colonies,  or  states,  had  refused  to  be 
honored  with  seats  in  the  Congress.  And  more  particularly  in 
the  summers  of  1786  and  1787  public  men  of  great  ability  were 
holding  themselves  in  readiness  to  answer  the  call  of  their  states 
to  act  as  delegates  in  the  approaching  Philadelphia  convention  to 
consider  the  amendments  to  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  A 
list  of  the  public  men  who  sat  in  the  constitutional  convention 
will  include  the  great  men  of  the  time.  Washington,  Madison, 
Franklin,  Hamilton,  Randolph,  Dickinson,  Morris,  Sherman, 
Ellsworth,  Patterson,  Rutledge,  and  the  two  Pinckneys  were  all 
present.  When  these  men  are  excluded  from  a  list  of  the  really 
great  men  in  the  United  States  at  that  time,  what  is  left  will  not 
include  many  men  of  note. 

However,  the  ordinance  shows  that  the  men  who  made  it, 
though  they  may  not  have  been  among  the  great  statesmen  of 
the  time,  were  yet  able  to  present  a  wonderful  framework  for 
self-government. 

First  Class 

The  ordinance  provided  that  the  machinery  of  government 
should  be  very  simple.  There  were  to  be  three  stages  of  govern- 
ment. The  first  stage  was  known  as  First  Class;  the  next  as 
Second  Class;  and  the  next  as  Third  Class,  or  Statehood.  The 
differentiation  depends  upon  population.  The  territory  of  the 
first  class  was,  by  the  ordinance,  provided  with  a  governor,  three 
judges,  a  secretary,  and  such  military  officers  as  could  be  used, 
to  be  appointed  by  the  governor.  The  governor  and  the  three 
judges  sitting  together  constituted  the  legislative  department 

239 


240  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

for  a  territory  of  the  first  class.  They  were  limited  in  their 
legislative  capacity  to  the  adoption  of  laws  already  on  the  statute 
books  of  the  old  states.  Even  then  Congress  was  to  have  the 
right  to  veto  any  of  these  laws  as  to  their  use  in  the  Northwest 
Territory.  After  the  laws  were  adopted  by  the  governor  and 
the  three  judges,  the  governor  was  to  enforce  them  and  the  three 
judges  sat  as  a  court  either  alone  or  in  company  with  one  or 
two  of  the  other  judges.  This  form  of  government  continued 
from  the  coming  of  St.  Clair  in  1788  to  the  year  1798.  In  the 
latter  year  it  was  found  that  the  Northwest  Territory  had  the 
required  number  of  inhabitants  and  it  passed  from  a  first  class 
to  a  second  class  territory.  The  ordinance  required  5,000  free 
male  inhabitants  of  twenty-one  years  of  age  before  the  second 
class  government  could  be  organized.  This  requirement  was 
omitted  in  the  ordinance  as  revised  by  the  Congress  under  the 
Constitution. 

Second  Class 

As  soon  as  the  governor  was  satisfied  that  there  were  5,000 
free  white  males  of  twenty-one  years  or  over,  he  ordered  an 
election  to  be  held  on  the  third  Monday  of  December,  1798,  for 
the  choice  of  members  of  the  Lower  House  of  the  Territorial 
Legislature.  The  newly  elected  Legislature  was  called  to  meet 
at  Cincinnati,  on  the  Ohio,  February  4th,  1799.  The  summer 
of  1798  was  spent  in  the  first  political  fight  in  the  Northwest 
Territory.  At  this  time  there  were  nine  counties  in  the  terri- 
tory, and,  according  to  the  ordinance,  there  was  to  be  one  repre- 
sentative to  every  500  voters.  The  proclamation  called  for 
twenty-two  delegates,  so  it  appears  there  were  found  to  be  11,000 
voters  in  the  territory.  The  counties,  the  number  of  repre- 
sentatives, and  the  men  chosen  are  given  herewith : 

Hamilton  County  (seven  members) — William  McMillan,  John 
Smith,  Robert  Benham,  Aaron  Caldwell,  William  Goforth,  John 
Ludlow,  and  Isaac  Martin. 

Ross  County  (four  members) — Thomas  Worthington,  Samuel 
Findley,  Elias  Langham,  and  Edward  Tiffin. 

Wayne  County  (three  members) — Solomon  Sibley,  Jacob 
Visgar,  Charles  F.  Chobart  de  Joncaire. 

Washington  County  (two  members) — Johnathan  Meigs,  Paul 
Fearing. 

Jefferson  County  (one  member) — James  Pritchard. 

St.  Clair  County  (one  member) — Shadrach  Bond. 

Knox  County  (one  member) — James  Small. 

Adams  County  (two  members) — Joseph  Darlington,  Nathan- 
iel Massie. 

The  ordinance  also  provided  that  the  lower  branch  should 
select  the  names  of  ten  men,  which  list  should  be  sent  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  from  which  he  is  to  select  five 
who  shall  sit  as  the  council  members.     The  following  five  men 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  241 

were  selected  at  the  first  session  of  the  lower  branch  of  the 
Legislature,  which  occurred  February  4,  1799,  at  Cincinnati. 
The  following  men  were  chosen  by  the  President : 

James  Findley,  Hamilton  County. 

Jacob  Burnet,  Hamilton  County. 

Henry  Vandeburg  Knox  County. 

David  Vance,  Jefferson  County. 

Robert  Oliver,  Washington  County. 

Shadrach  Bond,  the  representative  from  St.  Clair  County,  was 
a  native  of  Maryland,  and  was  born  November  24,  1778.  He 
was  a  farmer  boy.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1794.  He  had  only  a 
very  plain  education.  He  was  a  large  jolly  man,  and  very  popu- 
lar. He  was  an  enthusiastic  hunter.  Burnet,  in  his  "Notes  on 
the  Northwest  Territory,"  gives  a  short  sketch  of  each  of  the 
men  in  the  Upper  and  Lower  House.  Jacob  Burnet  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Upper  House.  He  wrote  very  fully  of  the  Northwest 
in  the  year  1847.  He  shows  that  the  twenty-seven  men  whose 
names  appear  above  were  men  who  in  later  years  became  prom- 
inent, and  he  shows  that  many  of  them  held  high  offices. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Lower  House  met  February  4,  1799. 
All  they  could  do  at  that  time  was  to  select  the  ten  names  from 
which  the  President  was  to  choose  five.  The  Lower  House  then 
adjourned  till  the  16th  of  September,  when  both  branches  of  the 
law-making  body  assembled.  The  governor  delivered  his  mes- 
sage and  the  mill  was  ready  to  grind. 

Delegate 

One  of  the  important  duties  was  the  selection  of  a  delegate  to 
represent  the  Northwest  Territory  in  the  Lower  House  of  Con- 
gress at  Washington.  Many  friends  of  Jacob  Burnet,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, solicited  him  to  become  a  candidate,  but  his  law  practice 
and  lack  of  means  prohibited  him  from  even  thinking  of  accept- 
ing so  honorable  a  station.  The  honor  then  was  contended  for 
by  William  Henry  Harrison  and  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Jr.  After  a 
spirited  preliminary  the  two  houses  met  in  joint  session  and 
balloted  for  the  choice  of  the  joint  session  for  delegate  to  Con- 
gress. William  Henry  Harrison  was  elected,  the  vote  standing 
twelve  for  Harrison  and  ten  for  St.  Clair.  Mr.  Harrison  was  at 
that  time  secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  This  office  he 
resigned  and  proceeded  without  delay  to  Congress,  which  was 
then  in  session  at  Philadelphia. 

One  of  Mr.  Harrison's  first  accomplishments  was  to  secure  the 
passage  through  both  houses  of  Congress  of  a  bill  providing  for 
the  subdivision  of  townships,  and  for  the  sale  of  the  public  lands 
in  small  tracts.  The  speculators  opposed  the  bills  very  much, 
as  they  preferred  to  buy  the  land  from  the  Government  in  town- 
ships and  to  resell  the  sections  or  half  sections  to  the  actual 
settlers.     Up  to  this  time  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  had  been 


242  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

made  only  to  the  rich  in  large  quantities.  Now  the  poor  man, 
or  at  least  the  ordinary  well-to-do  man,  could  buy  directly  from 
the  Government.  The  amount  was  reduced  to  320  acres.  The 
price  fixed  by  the  Government  when  the  ordinance  was  put  into 
force  was  $1  an  acre  cash — that  is  in  specie.  By  the  legislation 
which  Mr.  Harrison  was  enabled  to  secure,  the  amount  was 
reduced  to  a  half  township,  but  the  price  was  fixed  at  $2  per 
acre,  with  a  required  payment  of  one-fourth  down  at  time  of 
entry.  The  purchaser  was  allowed  one,  two,  and  three  years  on 
the  balance  of  the  purchase  price.  The  settlers  were  thus  en- 
abled to  secure  320  acres  for  a  cash  payment  of  $80.  The  Gov- 
ernment was  very  lenient  in  the  matter  of  the  deferred  pay- 
ments. This  was  the  policy  of  the  Government  from  1800  to 
1820,  when  the  purchase  price  was  fixed  at  SI. 25  per  acre,  to 
be  paid  for  in  full  at  the  time  of  purchase.  It  was  estimated  in 
1820  that  there  was  due  the  Government  on  the  deferred  pay- 
ments on  land  sales  the  sum  of  $20,000,000. 

This  legislation,  making  it  easy  for  poor  people  to  buy  land 
in  the  Northwest  Territory,  was  the  most  popular  bit  of  legis- 
lation which  had  been  enacted  relative  to  this  territory.  It 
made  Mr.  Harrison  very  popular  not  only  in  the  West,  where  the 
people  profited  by  his  foresight,  but  even  the  members  of  Con- 
gress from  the  older  states  saw  in  the  young  delegate  from  the 
West  the  possibilities  of  a  great  statesman  in  the  near  future. 

Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  was  the  son  of  Governor  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  of  Virginia,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.  The  younger  Harrison  was  educated  at 
Hampden  Sydney  College  and  afterwards  was  a  student  in  a 
medical  college  at  Philadelphia.  But  he  did  not  finish  his  course, 
but  left  the  study  of  medicine  to  fight  the  Indians  in  the  West. 
He  was  commissioned  an  ensign  and  was  aide-de-camp  to  Gen- 
eral Wayne  and  distinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of  Maumee 
Rapids.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory  under 
St.  Clair,  and  was  elected  as  a  delegate  to  Congress  to  repre- 
sent the  Northwest  Territory  as  a  second  class  territory  and  took 
his  seat  in  December,  1799. 

Territory  Divided 

On  May  7,  1800,  Congress  passed  an  act  which  divided  the 
Northwest  Territory  into  two  divisions  by  running  a  line  from 
the  Ohio  River,  opposite  Kentucky  River,  to  Fort  Recovery  and 
thence  north  to  the  boundary  line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  The  part  of  the  territory  lying  east  of  this  line  should 
be  known  and  called  the  Northwest  Territory,  and  retained  all 
the  officials  which  were  serving  at  that  time. 

All  that  part  of  the  old  Northwest  Territory  which  lay  west 
of  the  line  drawn  north  from  the  Ohio  opposite  Kentucky  River 
was  to  be  called  the  Indiana  Territory.    The  seat  of  government 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  243 

was  located  at  Saint  Vincennes.  The  law  dividing  the  Northwest 
Territory  was  to  go  into  effect  July  4,  1801.  The  President 
appointed  William  Henry  Harrison  governor  of  the  new  terri- 
tory. John  Gibson,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  named  as  secretary, 
while  William  Clark,  John  Griffin,  and  Henry  Vanderburgh, 
were  named  as  judges.  The  form  of  government  was  to  be  that 
of  a  territory  of  the  first  class. 

The  part  of  the  old  Northwest  which  lay  east  of  the  dividing 
line  spoken  of  above  was  soon  to  be  made  into  the  State  of  Ohio. 
There  were  in  1800  seven  counties  in  what  afterwards  came  to 
be  Ohio.    Their  names  and  their  population  were : 

Adams  County,  population 3,432 

Hamilton  County,  population 14,692 

Jefferson  County,  population 8,766 

Ross  County,  population 8,540 

Trumbull  County,  population 1,302 

Washington  County,  population 5,427 

Wayne  County,  population 3,206 

Total  population 45,365 

The  ordinance  provided  that  whenever  any  division  of  the 
territory  as  marked  out  in  the  ordinance  should  contain  60,000 
inhabitants,  it  should  be  admitted  as  a  state  into  the  Union.  In 
1810  the  Federal  census  gave  Ohio  230,760  inhabitants.  This 
would  give  an  increase  in  ten  years  of  185,395,  or  an  average 
yearly  increase  of  18,539.  In  1801,  therefore,  the  population  of 
Ohio  was  63,904.  However,  the  census  taken  by  the  territory 
itself  in  1801  showed  only  45,028  persons..  The  political  situa- 
tion was  rather  tense  in  Ohio  and  those  who  wanted  statehood 
petitioned  Congress  for  an  enabling  act.  Congress  complied 
and  a  convention  met  at  Chillicothe  November  1,  1802,  and  two 
days  later  Governor  St.  Clair  made  a  speech  to  the  convention 
which  offended  the  republican  party,  and  President  Jefferson 
dismissed  the  governor  at  once.  Governor  St.  Clair  was  a 
very  strong  Federalist  and  the  speech  was  an  excuse  for  his 
dismissal.  The  Constitution  was  duly  made  and  accepted  by 
Congress,  and  on  February  19,  1803,  the  state  was  recognized  as 
a  member  of  the  Federal  Union. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ILLINOIS  PART  OF  INDIANA  TERRITORY 

Indiana  Territory  Created — The  Sixth  Article — Vote  on 
Second  Class — Indentured  Servants — Move  Toward 
Separation — Dueling — Division  Accomplished 

On  May  7,  1800,  the  President  of  the  United  States  signed  the 
bill  which  Congress  had  just  passed  creating  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory.   The  following  is  a  brief  analysis  of  the  act. 

Indiana  Territory  Created 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  that  from 
and  after  the  4th  of  July,  1800,  all  the  territory  west  of  a  line 
beginning  at  the  Ohio  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky 
River,  and  running  thence  to  Fort  Recovery,  and  thence  due 
north  to  the  line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  shall 
for  purposes  of  temporary  government  constitute  a  separate  ter- 
ritory and  be  called  Indiana  Territory. 

Sec.  2.  The  government  within  the  said  territory  shall  be 
similar  in  all  respects  to  that  provided  in  the  ordinance  passed 
by  Congress  the  13th  of  July,  1787 ;  and  the  inhabitants  shall  be 
entitled  to  all  the  rights  and  privileges  secured  to  the  people  in 
the  said  ordinance. 

Sec.  3.  The  officers  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  for  the  government  of  the  said  Indiana  Territory,  shall 
exercise  similar  powers  therein  as  are  provided  in  the  said 
ordinance. 

Sec.  4.  All  that  part  of  the  said  ordinance  providing  for  the 
organization  of  a  general  assembly  shall  be  applicable  to  the  said 
Indiana  Territory  when  the  majority  of  the  freeholders  may 
wish  such  general  assembly,  though  there  may  not  be  5,000 
voters. 

Sec.  5.  Prohibits  the  officials  in  the  Northwest  Territory  from 
exercising  any  authority  in  the  Indiana  Territory  after  July  4th, 
1800,  and  also  permanently  fixing  the  boundary  line  between 
Indiana  Territory  and  Ohio  when  it  shall  be  admitted  into  the 
Union,  at  the  meridian  of  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Maumee  River. 

Sec.  6.  That  until  further  enacted  by  the  legislatures  of  the 
said  territories,  the  seat  of  government  for  the  territory  north- 

244 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  245 

west  of  the  Ohio  River  shall  be  Chillicothe,  and  that  of  the  Indi- 
ana Territory  shall  be  Vincennes. 

The  period  of  ten  years  between  the  coming  of  St.  Clair  to  the 
Illinois  country,  in  1790,  and  the  creation  of  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory, in  1800,  had  been  one  of  apparently  studied  neglect.  Only 
one  term  of  court  for  the  punishment  of  crimes  had  been  held 
within  that  ten  years.  The  settled  regions  in  Knox,  St.  Clair, 
and  Randolph  counties  had  become  places  of  refuge  for  crim- 
inals. The  appointment  of  sheriffs,  judges,  military  officials, 
etc.,  had  been  made  with  a  flourish  in  1790.  But  few  of  the 
men  appointed  ever  performed  the  duties  of  the  office.  The 
officials  of  the  Northwest  Territory  were  of  course  all  Amer- 
icans, likewise  the  settlements  north  of  the  Ohio  were  made  up 
of  Americans,  excepting  Gallipolis.  It  is  easy  therefore  to  see 
why  the  officials  lingered  about  the  American  settlements.  The 
people  of  Vincennes,  Cahokia,  and  Kaskaskia  were  with  few 
exceptions  French  or  of  French  descent.  St.  Clair  said  they 
were  the  most  ignorant  people  imaginable.  Colonel  Todd  gave 
these  conditions  as  his  reasons  for  wanting  to  resign  the  control 
of  these  same  three  French  villages.  In  1800  there  were  some 
indications  that  these  three  centers  of  population  in  the  West 
might  get  some  attention  from  the  general  Government. 

Governor  Harrison  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  was  a 
delegate  from  the  Northwest  Territory  in  the  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia. He  was  not  able  therefore  to  come  to  Vincennes  to 
take  control  of  the  government  of  the  Indiana  Territory  on  July 
4,  1800.  The  secretary,  John  Gibson,  therefore,  was  empowered 
to  proceed  with  the  installing  of  the  machinery  of  government. 
The  secretary  appointed  all  necessary  officers  and  the  laws  which 
had  been  a  dead  letter  for  the  past  ten  years  took  on  new  life 
and  every  one  looked  forward  to  the  reestablishment  of  order 
and  the  restoration  of  life  along  all  lines^  Governor  Harrison 
reached  Vincennes  on  January  10,  1801,  and  on  the  12th  he  con- 
vened the  judges  in  a  legislative  session  for  the  adoption  of  such 
laws  as  the  conditions  required.  Quite  a  few  pressing. needs 
were  attended  to  along  the  legislative  lines.  It  was  taken  for 
granted  that  the  laws  that  were  in  operation  in  the  Northwest 
Territory  before  the  separation  of  Indiana  thereform  were  in 
operation  in  Indiana  without  being  reenacted.  At  the  first 
sitting  of  the  legislative  body,  the  governor  and  three  judges, 
there  were  six  laws  passed.  These  were  amendatory  to  those  in 
force  before  the  division.  The  argument  in  favor  of  the  validity 
of  the  old  laws  in  the  Indiana  Territory  was  based  on  the  theory 
that  the  division  was  for  administrative  purposes.  This  inter- 
pretation was  upheld  by  the  courts  in  a  case  that  came  before 
the  judges  in  1803.  Again  since  the  Indiana  Territory  must 
drop  back  to  the  stage  of  territory  of  the  first  class,  the  laws 
must  by  the  ordinance  be  adopted  from  older  states. 

The  Federal  census  of  1800  showed  population  as  follows : 


246  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Indiana  proper    2,517 

Illinois  proper    2,458 

Michigan  proper 551 

Wisconsin  proper   115 

Total    5,641 

In  this  count  there  were  reported  in  Illinois  as  it  is  today — 
Fort  Cahokia,  719.  At  Bellefontaine,  286.  South  end  of  St.  Clair 
County,  250.  At  Kaskaskia,  467.  At  Prairie  du  Rocher,  212. 
At  Mitchell's  Settlement  (six  miles  east  of  Belleville),  234.  At 
Fort  Massac,  90.  Peoria,  100.  On  the  Wabash  (on  the  Illinois 
side),  about  110.  This  gives  the  proper  number,  2,458,  for 
Illinois.  In  this  total  for  the  Indiana  Territory  of  5,641,  there 
were  reported  135  slaves  and  163  free  Negroes.  But  Dunn,  in 
his  "Indiana,"  thinks  the  report  on  the  number  of  Negroes  and 
slaves  is  inaccurate. 

The  Sixth  Article 

One  of  the  questions  which  arose  in  the  early  history  of  the 
Indiana  Territory  was,  "How  can  the  provision  of  the  sixth 
article  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  be  set  aside?"  This  article 
reads :  "There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servi- 
tude in  the  said  territory,  otherwise  than  in  the  punishment  of 
crimes  where  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  Governor  St.  Clair  arrived 
at  Kaskaskia  in  1790,  one  of  the  most  troublesome  questions 
presented  to  him  for  solution  was,  does  the  ordinance  set  free 
the  slaves  held  about  Kaskaskia?  Governor  St.  Clair,  after 
taking  the  matter  under  advisement,  gave  out  a  public  state- 
ment that  the  ordinance  did  not  free  the  Negroes  held  in  bondage 
in  the  Illinois  country  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  Ordinance  of 
1787,  but  that  it  did' prohibit  the  bringing  in  of  slaves  from 
other  states. 

During  the  decade  from  1790  to  1800  there  was  little  interest 
in  the 'Northwest  Territory  by  the  slave-holding  interests.  Emi- 
grants from  Maryland,  Virginia,  or  the  Carolinas  who  passed 
to  the  west  of  the  Alleghanies  stopped  in  Kentucky  or  Tennessee 
or  passed  on  into  the  Spanish  territory.  People  from  the  older 
states  who  were  opposed  to  slavery,  if  they  came  West,  stopped 
in  the  Northwest  Territory.  Ohio  of  course  got  most  of  this 
class,  Indiana  received  a  smaller  number,  and  Illinois  received 
very  few.  There  were  those  who  thought  that  Illinois  might 
increase  her  population  by  securing  an  annulment  of  the  sixth 
article  of  the  ordinance. 

On  January  12,  1796,  a  petition  was  presented  in  Congress 
from  Kaskaskia  asking  for  a  repeal  of  article  6  of  the  ordinance. 
The  petition  was  presented  in  the  House,  but  seems  not  have 
been  received  with  much  favor.    In  1799  a  petition  from  some 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  247 

old  Revolutionary  soldiers  was  presented  to  the  Indiana  Legis- 
lature asking  permission  to  bring  their  slaves  with  them  and  to 
reside  on  the  military  tract  reserved  by  Virginia,  but  the  Ter- 
ritorial Legislature  stated  it  would  be  incompatible  with  the 
articles  of  the  compact.  In  1800  a  petition  was  circulated  about 
Kaskaskia,  where  it  was  very  generally  signed,  asking  Con- 
gress to  permit  the  introduction  into  the  Indiana  Territory  of 
slavery  and  the  establishing  of  a  system  of  gradual  emancipa- 
tion. The  petition  was  presented  on  January  23,  1801.  It  was 
never  acted  on. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  all  efforts  to  secure  an  annul- 
ment of  the  sixth  article  of  the  ordinance,  the  friends  of  slavery 
made  one  more  effort  to  have  set  aside  this  article.  Governor 
Harrison  visited  Kaskaskia  in  the  fall  of  1802,  where  he  was 
petitioned  to  call  a  convention  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
the  best  means  of  securing  the  admission  of  slavery  into  the 
Indiana  Territory.  November  22  he  issued  a  call  for  such  a  con- 
vention. At  this  time  there  were  four  counties  in  the  Indiana 
Territory,  St.  Clair,  Randolph,  Knox,  and  Clark.  The  first  two 
counties  were  to  send  three  delegates  each,  Knox  four,  and  Clark 
two.  The  sheriffs  of  the  counties  were  to  hold  the  elections ;  the 
convention  met  at  Vincennes  on  Monday,  December  20,  1802. 
The  delegates  from  St.  Clair  County  were  Jean  Francois  Perry, 
Shadrach  Bond,  and  John  Moredock.  Those  from  Randolph 
were  Pierre  Menard,  Robert  Reynolds,  and  Robert  Morrison. 

The  Vincennes  Convention 

The  convention  thus  made  up  of  twelve  good  citizens  was  pre- 
sided over  by  Governor  Harrison,  and  John  Rice  Jones  was 
secretary.  In  a  memorial  to  Congress  they  show  that  many 
good  people  are  driven  to  the  Spanish  side  of  the  Mississippi 
because  they  can  not  bring  their  slaves  into  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory. They  ask  for  a  suspension  of  the  sixth  article  for  a  period 
of  ten  years,  during  which  time  Negro  slaves  may  be  brought 
into  the  territory,  after  which  the  article  should  be  again  put  in 
force.  The  convention  also  asked  that  treaties  be  made  with  the 
Indians  for  the  extinction  of  their  titles  to  land  in  the  south  end 
of  the  Indiana  Territory.  Another  request  they  made  was  that 
a  grant  of  400  acres  of  land  to  each  person  who  opened  good 
wagon  roads  and  established  inns  or  hotels  along  the  public 
highways. 

The  memorial  was  sent  to  Washington  by  a  special  carrier  and 
presented  to  Congress.  The  matter  was  taken  up  in  Congress 
and  referred  to  a  committee,  which  reported  unfavorably.  One 
part  of  the  report,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  written  by 
John  Randolph,  of  Virginia,  is  as  follows:  "The  rapidly  in- 
creasing population  of  the  State  of  Ohio  sufficiently  evinces,  in 
the  opinion  of  your  committee,  that  the  labor  of  slaves  is  not 


248  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

necessary  to  promote  the  growth  and  settlement  of  colonies  in 
that  region."  The  people  in  the  Indiana  Territory  were  greatly 
disappointed  at  the  failure  of  Congress  to  comply  with  their 
requests.  But  they  were  not  altogether  discouraged.  The  sec- 
ond legislative  session  of  the  governor  and  judges  was  held  in 
the  fall  of  1803.  At  this  session  the  Legislature  passed  a  law 
which  provided  that  persons  coming  into  the  Indiana  Territory 
"under  contract  to  serve  another  in  any  trade  or  occupation 
shall  be  compelled  to  perform  such  contract  specifically  during 
the  term  thereof." 

The  two  Illinois  counties,  as  soon  as  the  Louisiana  purchase 
should  be  placed  under  civil  authority,  asked  to  be  made  a  part 
of  the  Louisiana  Territory.  (Annals  Eighth  Congress,  pp.  489- 
555,  623.)  Congress  afterwards  changed  the  plan  somewhat 
and  made  the  governor,  judges  and  the  secretary  of  the  Indiana 
Territory  the  officials  of  the  District  of  Louisiana.  The  two 
were  distinct  governments,  but  the  same  officials  served  both.  It 
has  been  said  that  the  prominent  men  of  Kaskaskia  and  Cohokia 
were  willing  to  do  anything  to  get  out  from  under  the  control  of 
Governor  Harrison.  There  were  political  contests  and  savage 
political  attacks  among  the  public  men  of  the  time. 

The  appointees  of  Governor  Harrison  who  lived  along  the 
Mississippi  began  to  agitate  the  public  mind  for  a  separation  of 
Illinois  from  Indiana.  The  Ordinance  of  1787  had  been  con- 
firmed by  the  Congress  under  the  Constitution  and  at  the  same 
time  there  were  several  minor  provisions  which  were  changed. 
In  the  draft  of  1787  there  must  be  5,000  voters  in  a  territory 
before  it  could  pass  from  the  first  stage  to  the  second  stage,  and 
must  have  60,000  inhabitants  before  it  could  be  admitted  as  a 
state.  The  Ordinance  of  1789  did  not  give  a  minimum  number 
of  voters  as  a  requirement  for  passing  from  the  first  stage  to  the 
second  stage.  In  1801  the  Illinois  people  wanted  the  governor 
to  consent  to  the  plan  of  making  Indiana  Territory  a  territory 
of  the  second  class.  He  objected.  But  now  in  1804  the  gov- 
ernor is  anxious  to  change  and  the  people  were  indifferent.  To 
show  that  they  were  indifferent  or  were  preoccupied,  we  need 
only  call  attention  to  the  light  vote  that  was  cast  when  the  elec- 
tion was  called  for  an  expression  on  the  part  of  the  voters. 

Vote  on  Second  Class 

The  people  of  the  Illinois  section,  as  has  been  shown,  wanted 
slavery.  But  they  were  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  a  governor  and 
other  officers  who  were  in  no  way  under  obligation  to  the  people 
who  at  that  time  desired  a  territory  of  the  second  class.  The 
people  thought  that  if  they  had  a  representative,  that  is  a  dele- 
gate, in  Congress  that  their  wishes  would  be  much  more  likely 
to  be  granted  by  Congress  than  by  a  legislative  body  made  up 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  249 

of  the  governor  and  the  three  judges.  There  was  another  reason 
why  some  people  were  looking  forward  to  the  coming  of  a 
second  class  territory.  The  people  who  desired  the  introduction 
of  slavery  had  persistently  petitioned  Congress  and  the  governor 
to  be  allowed  to  bring  slaves  into  the  Indiana  Territory.  Now 
they  argue  that  if  they  had  a  delegate  in  Congress  they  might 
be  able  to  present  their  wants  in  a  more  effective  way.  And 
again  they  thought  that  a  territorial  legislature  might  be  able 
to  think  out  some  relief  from  the  provisions  in  article  6  of  the 
ordinance. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1804,  the  governor  of  the  Indiana  Ter- 
ritory issued  his  proclamation  calling  an  election  to  be  held  in 
the  several  counties  in  the  Indiana  Territory  on  September  11, 
to  determine  the  wish  of  the  voters  on  the  question  of  passing 
from  a  first  class  to  a  second  class  territory.  From  August  4th 
to  11th  of  September  would  be  only  thirty-eight  days,  and  with 
the  meager  means  of  communication  at  that  time  it  was  im- 
possible to  inform  the  entire  voting  population.  Besides  the 
shortness  of  the  time,  there  was  in  some  quarters  a  certain 
amount  of  indifference  which  could  not  be  overcome.  The  men 
who  were  for  the  passing  to  the  second  grade  in  1801  were  now 
against  it,  and  they  probably  thought  that  the  less  agitation,  the 
less  likelihood  the  measure  would  have  of  passing. 

At  the  time  of  the  election  there  were  six  counties  in  the 
Indiana  Territory,  namely,  St.  Clair,  Randolph,  Knox,  Clark, 
Dearborn,  and  Wayne.  The  last  named  county  included  all  of 
what  is  now  Southern  Michigan.  The  vote  stood  as  follows: 
St.  Clair,  sixty-nine  for  and  twenty-two  against ;  Randolph,  nine- 
teen for  and  forty  against;  in  Dearborn  County  there  were 
twenty-six  votes,  all  against  the  advance  to  a  second  class;  in 
Clark  County  forty-eight  votes  were  cast  and  a  majority  of 
thirty-five  was  for  advancing  to  second  class.  Knox  County 
voted  137  for  advance  to  twelve  against.  Wayne  County  was 
not  aware  an  election  was  held  till  it  was  all  over.  On  December 
the  5th,  1804,  the  governor  proclaimed  that  "Indiana  Territory 
is  and  from  henceforth  shall  be  deemed  to  have  passed  into  the 
second  or  representative  grade  of  government,  and  that  the  good 
people  of  the  territory,  from  the  date  thereof,  are  entitled  to 
the  rights  and  privileges  belonging  to  that  situation." 

Election  of  representatives  was  held  in  January,  1805.  St. 
Clair  sent  two  representatives,  Shadrach  Bond  and  William 
Biggs,  while  Randolph  County  sent  George  Fisher.  When  the 
list  of  ten  names  was  presented  to  the  President,  he  chose  John 
Hay,  from  St.  Clair,  and  Pierre  Menard,  from  Randolph,  to  sit 
in  the  Upper  House.  The  first  session  of  the  two  houses  was 
held  in  Vincennes  July  29,  1805.  The  governor,  following  a 
custom  established  many  decades  previously,  the  delivering  of  a 
message  to  the  Legislature,  gave  to  this  representative  body  his 


250  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

recommendations  as  to  the  subjects  upon  which  he  wished  legis- 
lation. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature  he  recommended  the  passage 
of  a  law  to  prevent  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  the  Indians. 
He  also  called  attention  to  the  need  of  an  improved  judicial 
system,  to  the  need  of  the  reorganization  of  the  militia,  more 
vigorous  laws  for  the  punishment  of  crime  and  a  better  system 
of  raising  revenue.  The  two  houses  of  the  Legislature  in  joint 
session  elected  Benjamin  Parke,  of  the  eastern  half  of  the  terri- 
tory, as  delegate  in  Congress  from  the  Indiana  Territory.  He 
was  opposed  by  the  anti-Harrison  faction,  who  charged  that 
Parke  was  and  would  be  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  Governor  Harri- 
son, but  Dunn's  Indiana  praises  the  services  of  Benjamin  Parke 
to  Indiana  and  her  people. 

The  Legislature  at  this  session,  in  the  summer  of  1805,  adopted 
many  of  the  laws  which  had  been  in  force  in  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory and  also  in  Indiana  Territory  while  it  was  a  territory  of 
the  first  class.  Before  the  legislature  adjourned  it  authorized 
the  appointment  of  a  commission  to  revise  all  the  laws  which 
had  been  adopted  by  the  Legislature.  John  Rice  Jones  and 
John  Johnson,  two  very  prominent  lawyers,  were  appointed  to 
make  the  revision.  This  they  did  and  their  report  was  made  in 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1807. 

Indentured  Servants 

But  probably  the  most  far  reaching  actions  taken  by  the 
Legislature  in  1805  was  the  passage  of  a  law  which  bore  the 
title:  "An  act  concerning  the  introduction  of  Negroes  and 
Mulattoes  into  this  territory."  Without  doubt  this  law  was  in 
conformity  to  the  wishes  of  a  great  many  people  in  the  Indiana 
Territory.  They  were  not  willing  to  cease  their  efforts  to  secure 
the  repeal  of  the  sixth  article  of  the  ordinance.  The  Legislature 
of  1805  petitioned  Congress  for  "relief,"  as  they  termed  it,  from 
the  sixth  article.    The  act  mentioned  above  provided : 

1.  That  Negro  slaves  may  be  brought  from  any  state  or  ter- 
ritory of  the  Union  into  the  Indiana  Territory. 

2.  Within  thirty  days  the  owner  of  any  of  said  slaves  might 
enter  into  an  agreement  with  such  slave,  before  a  clerk  of  the 
court,  to  the  effect  that  the  slave  should  serve  his  owner  for  a 
designated  number  of  years. 

3.  If  the  slave  refused  to  enter  into  such  agreement,  the 
owner  could  remove  the  slave  to  any  slave  state  or  territory. 

4.  Slaves  under  fifteen  years  of  age  could  be  brought  into 
the  Indiana  Territory  and  held,  males  till  they  are  thirty-five, 
and  females  till  they  are  thirty-two  years  old,  with  no  other 
formality  than  the  registration  of  these  minors  with  the  clerk 
of  the  court. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  251 

5.  Children  born  of  slaves  under  the  indenture  system  were 
to  serve  their  masters,  males  till  they  are  thirty,  and  females 
until  they  are  twenty-eight. 

6.  Masters  were  required  to  give  bond  for  the  good  behavior 
of  Negroes  who  might  become  free  under  the  provisions  of  this 
law. 

At  the  same  session  a  law  was  passed  that  applied  only  to 
white  apprentices,  similar  in  some  respects  to  the  indenture  law. 
This  indenture  law  was  viciously  attacked  by  the  press  of  other 
states  and  territories  and  was  defended  by  some  of  its  sup- 
porters in  the  Indiana  Territory.  One  defender  of  the  law  said 
it  would  be  the  means  of  clearing  700,000  acres  of  rich  land  in 
the  territory.  The  bringing  of  these  slaves  from  the  South 
would  greatly  relieve  the  overcrowded  conditions  of  the  South. 
It  would  be  a  great  blessing  to  the  slaves  who  were  brought  from 
the  South,  "where  they  are  driven  in  famished  droves — where 
farms  are  overstocked  with  them — where  they  are  hired  out  for 
want  of  employ  to  every  mercenary  wretch,  whose  only  study  is 
how  he  may  strain  the  most  labor  with  the  least  sustenance — 
where  they  are  fed  on  cotton  seeds,  stinking  fish,  and  the  very 
off-scourings  of  the  soil — where  they  are  lashed,  slashed,  fet- 
tered and  trodden  down — where  the  least  glimmering  of  hope 
never  comes,  but  slavery  without  end. 

"From  this  soul-sinking  situation,  worse  than  non-existence, 
they  are  brought  into  the  Indiana  Territory,  where  they  are 
bound  to  serve  for  seven  years  to  industrious  farmers,  who 
work  in  the  same  field  with  them;  here  they  are  decently  clad 
and  well  fed  with  good,  wholesome  food;  here  they  may  learn 
industry,  frugality,  and  in  short  how  to  gain  a  comfortable  liv- 
ing; cheered  and  delighted  with  the  sure  and  certain  prospects 
of  future  freedom  to  themselves  and  their  children." 

The  contest  between  those  who  favored  the  introduction  of 
slavery  and  those  who  opposed  it  was  bitter  and  continuous.  The 
session  of  1805  had  under  consideration  a  petition  to  Congress 
asking  for  the  admission  of  slavery  into  the  Indiana  Territory, 
but  for  some  reason  it  failed  of  endorsement  by  the  Lower  House 
of  the  Legislature.  Another  matter  that  was  demanding  the 
attention  of  the  public  men  was  that  of  separating  the  Indiana 
Territory,  the  west  part  to  be  known  as  the  Illinois  Territory. 
From  the  separation  of  the  Indiana  Territory  from  the  North- 
west Territory,  and  the  appointment  of  William  H.  Harrison  as 
governor  of  the  new  territory,  there  had  grown  up  a  strong 
anti-Harrison  party  not  only  about  the  Mississippi  settlement, 
but  in  the  territory  about  Vincennes.  We  have  already  seen 
that  some  of  the  Illinois  people  would  rather  be  joined  to  the 
Louisiana  Territory  than  to  remain  under  the  tyranny  of  Gov- 
ernor Harrison.  Congress  was  petitioned  to  separate  the  Illinois 
country  from  the  Indiana  Territory  in  1806.    The  committee  to 


252  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

whom  the  petition  was  referred  reported  to  the  house  that  it 
would  be  "inexpedient"  to  comply  with  the  request. 

Move  Toward  Separation 

The  people  in  Illinois  were  not  at  all  unanimous  in  wanting 
the  separation  of  the  territory.  However,  petitions  were  sent 
to  the  governor  of  the  territory  as  well  as  to  Congress,  the 
people  thinking  that  agitation  at  least  was  worth  something.  In 
1805  a  petition  was  signed  by  about  350  people  about  Kaskaskia 
and  Cahokia  asking  for  separation.  One  reason  for  asking  for 
the  separation  was  the  distance  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes. 
The  petitioners  said  it  was  180  miles,  that  the  road  to  the  capital 
lay  through  a  rough  and  dangerous  country,  flooded  at  one  sea- 
son and  at  another  so  dry  that  water  could  not  be  had  for  the 
traveler.  As  a  result  of  this  long  and  hazardous  journey  to  the 
seat  of  government,  few  people  except  those  who  were  by  neces- 
sity required  to  visit  the  capital  ever  undertook  the  journey 
thither.  The  inconveniences  and  hardships  of  the  journey  were 
magnified  into  a  dangerous  undertaking.  Those  who  favored 
separation  argued  that  without  a  division  of  the  territory,  the 
Illinois  side  would  lose  all  its  citizens,  as  Louisiana  was  offering 
inducements  for  immigration  into  her  territory. 

At  the  same  time  that  this  petition  reached  Washington,  an- 
other was  presented  which  prayed  as  earnestly  that  the  territory 
be  not  divided,  claiming  that  the  people  were  too  poor  to  support 
two  territorial  governments.  All  these  petitions  were  patiently 
received  by  Congress,  and  were  referred  to  appropriate  commit- 
tees. The  Congress  was  of  course  not  concerned  in  these  con- 
tentions and  the  committees  reported  adversely  on  the  petitions. 

The  first  session  of  the  Legislature  of  the  Indiana  Territory 
had  met  in  1805,  July  29.  A  special  session  was  held  November, 
1806.  The  chief  thing  before  the  special  session  was  the  ad- 
mission of  slaves  into  the  Indiana  Territory.  Petitions  with 
arguments  were  forwarded  to  Congress.  An  additional  law 
relative  to  indentured  servants  was  passed.  It  provided  that 
the  unexpired  time  of  indentured  Negroes  and  mulattoes  might 
be  levied  upon  and  sold  as  personal  property.  The  law  provided 
that  the  indentured  Negro  or  mulatto  whose  time  was  thus  sold 
must  serve  the  purchaser  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  and  the 
purchaser  was  required  to  carry  out  the  agreement  of  the 
original  master.  Certain  stringent  police  laws  applicable  to 
slaves  and  indentured  servants  who  should  be  found  as  many 
as  ten  miles  from  the  home  of  the  master  were  enacted.  The 
punishment  for  the  infraction  of  these  police  laws  was  whipping, 
thirty-nine  lashes. 

Dueling 

The  second  session  of  the  Legislature  met  August  17,  1807. 
St.  Clair  County  sent  Shadrach  Bond,  Jr.  (who  was  afterward 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  253 

the  first  governor  of  Illinois),  and  William  Biggs;  Randolph 
County  sent  George  Fisher.  These  sat  in  the  Lower  House.  In 
the  Upper  House  from  these  two  counties  were  Pierre  Menard, 
from  Randolph,  and  John  Hay,  from  St.  Clair.  These  two  men 
resigned,  and  their  places  were  filled  by  Shardrach  Bond,  for 
St.  Clair,  and  George  Fisher,  from  Randolph.  These  two 
vacancies  were  filled  by  special  election  of  Rice  Jones,  from  Ran- 
dolph, and  John  Messinger,  from  St.  Clair  County.  Pierre 
Menard  and  John  Hay  were  bitter  opponents  of  separation.  The 
fight  for  and  against  separation  grew  so  bitter  that  a  feud  grew 
between  the  two  factions  and  led  to  serious  consequences. 
Shadrach  Bond  challenged  Rice  Jones  to  a  duel.  Jones  accepted, 
but  on  the  field  of  honor  friends  secured  an  amicable  adjust- 
ment and  the  duel  was  called  off.  However,  Dr.  James  Dunlap, 
Bond's  second,  expressed  himself  very  freely  about  the  matter 
and  the  feud  grew  more  dangerous,  and  on  December  7,  1808,  on 
the  streets  of  Kaskaskia,  Doctor  Dunlap  shot  and  killed  Rice 
Jones.    Dunlap  fled  to  Texas,  where  he  lived  and  died. 

Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  a  member  of  the  house  of  delegates  from 
Dearborn  County.  He  was  a  candidate  for  delegate  in  Congress. 
He  had  no  special  convictions  about  the  matter  of  division  of  the 
territory,  but  entered  into  a  secret  pact  with  the  friends  of  divi- 
sion that  if  they  would  support  him  for  the  position  of  delegate, 
he  would  pledge  them  his  influence  in  Congress  to  secure  the 
division  of  the  territory.  He  was  elected  as  delegate  October  26, 
receiving  six  votes  out  of  ten.  Thomas  repaired  to  Washington, 
where  he  found  Congress  in  session.  Petitions  for  and  against 
slavery  and  for  and  against  division  were  coming  to  Congress 
thick  and  fast.  On  the  13th  of  December  all  these  petitions  were 
referred  to  a  committee  of  which  Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  chair- 
man. The  other  members  were  Kenan  of  North  Carolina,  Bas- 
sett  of  Virginia,  Taggart  of  Massachusetts,  and  Smilie  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Division  Accomplished 

This  committee  was  kept  busy  reading  petitions  for  and 
against  both  slavery  and  division.  On  December  31  the  commit- 
tee reported  a  bill  favorable  to  the  division  of  the  Indiana  Ter- 
ritory. Mr.  Thomas  argued  in  favor  of  division  that  a  majority 
of  the  people  of  the  territory  favored  a  division,  and  to  meet  an 
argument  that  a  division  would  be  very  costly,  he  contended  that 
the  increased  value  of  the  public  land  would  more  than  offset 
any  additional  cost  of  the  government.  An  estimate  was  made 
that  there  were  11,000  people  in  the  Illinois  country,  and  17,000 
on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  Wabash.  The  act  reported  by  the 
committee  was  passed  and  approved  by  the  President  on  Febru- 
ary 3,  1809.  The  act  provided  that  all  that  part  of  the  Indiana 
Territory  lying  west  of  the  Wabash  River  and  a  line  running 
due  north  of  Vincennes  to  the  line  separating  the  United  States 


254  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

from  Canada  should  be  incorporated  into  a  separate  territory, 
with  a  separate  government,  and  be  known  as  the  Territory  of 
Illinois.  The  committee  that  recommended  the  division  of  the 
Indiana  Territory  estimated  the  population  of  Illinois  at  11,000, 
and  that  of  Indiana  at  17,000.  The  Federal  census  of  1810  gives 
St.  Clair  County  as  having  a  population  of  5,007,  and  Randolph 
as  having  7,275  inhabitants,  or  a  total  for  Illinois  Territory  of 
12,282  inhabitants.  Indiana  Territory  by  the  same  census  was 
reported  as  having  24,520. 

We  thus  take  our  leave  of  Indiana  Territory,  Governor  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  and  Old  Vincennes.  Henceforth  we  shall 
think  of  them  only  as  neighbors,  but  we  shall  acquire  some  of 
their  citizens,  among  whom  was  the  Hon.  Jesse  Burgess 
Thomas,  who,  after  having  secured  the  division  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  applied  for  and  received  the  appointment  as  one  of 
the  three  judges  of  the  Illinois  Territory.  He  was  a  resident  of 
Dearborn  County,  in  the  Indiana  Territory,  but  he  had  made 
bitter  enemies  by  bringing  about  the  division  and  he  thought 
best  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  people  of  the  new  and  promising 
young  territory.  He  first  settled  near  Prairie  du  Rocher,  but 
later  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Cahokia. 

By  the  act  of  separation  Illinois  Territory  became  a  territory 
with  a  first-class  government  and  we  shall  proceed  to  the  organi- 
zation of  that  government. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
PERSONS,  PLACES,  AND  THINGS 

What  men  think,  how  they  feel,  and  what  they  do  are  always 
interesting  things  in  the  story  of  human  history.  How  the 
thinking,  feeling,  and  doing  of  one  age  differs  from  that  of  a 
previous  age  is  the  story  of  human  progress.  It  is  this  improved 
situation  along  any  or  all  three  of  these  lines  that  become  objects 
of  the  intensest  interest.  Nature  charms  us  by  her  aspects  of 
power,  by  the  display  of  her  beauty,  or  by  the  revelation  of  her 
purposes.  We  stand  in  awe  before  Niagara,  the  Colorado  canon, 
or  the  giant  trees  of  California.  We  are  transfixed  by  the  beauty 
of  the  landscape,  the  extent  of  the  rolling  ocean,  or  the  glory 
of  moon  and  stars.  And  we  bow  in  humility  before  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  God  as  we  more  and  more  discover  the  plans 
and  purposes  in  his  dealings  with  his  earth  and  his  people. 

Nature  everywhere — the  deserts  of  the  sub-tropics,  the  moun- 
tains, the  plains,  the  forests,  the  prairies,  the  meandering 
streams,  the  islands,  the  caves,  the  glaciers,  and  the  wild  expanse 
of  the  polar  regions — lures  us  to  her  study  and  companionship. 

But  the  works  of  man  have  also  an  interest,  and  a  double  in- 
terest, when  combined  with  the  interests  we  have  in  nature. 
History  is  what  the  human  race  has  thought,  felt,  and  done. 
The  particular  feature  of  history  that  adds  to  its  value  as  a 
profitable  study  is  that  we  may  discover  that  back  of  all  that 
man  has  done  in  the  world  lies  purpose  good  or  bad.  Interest 
is  also  added  when  we  discover  that  we  are  thinking  the  same 
thoughts,  are  moved  by  the  same  emotions,  and  are  doing  the 
same  things  that  man  in  all  ages  have  thought,  felt,  and  done, 
The  interest  therefore  which  we  might  have  in  persons,  places, 
and  things  if  near  at  hand  in  time  and  place  does  not  differ  in 
quality  from  that  which  is  distant  in  time  and  place.  An  in- 
cident in  the  early  history  of  Illinois  has  all  the  elements  of 
interest  and  value  that  might  be  found  in  the  far  away  incidents 
of  time  and  space.  The  incident  of  the  founding  of  the  first 
church  at  old  Kaskaskia  on  the  Illinois  River  by  Father  Mar- 
quette is  not  different  in  quality  from  that  of  the  planting  of  the 
first  church  on  the  shores  of  England.  The  block  houses  and 
palisades  with  which  our  forefathers  in  Illinois  were  so  very 
familiar  have  all  the  elements  of  human  purpose  in  them  that 
may  be  found  by  a  profound  study  of  the  walled  cities  of  Europe 
or  the  Chinese  wall.  We  shall  therefore  be  abundantly  justified 
in  calling  attention  to  persons,  places,  and  things  that  had  to  do 

255 


256  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

with  the  earliest  history  of  our  beloved  commonwealth.  In  this 
chapter  we  shall  of  necessity  have  a  "twice  told  tale,"  but  it 
shall  be  short  and  possibly  presented  in  a  new  setting. 

Very  naturally  we  should  begin  with  two  great  characters, 
Marquette  and  Joliet.  Marquette  had  devoted  his  life  to  the 
telling  of  the  story  of  the  cross.  His  heart  burned  with  the 
desire  to  visit  the  Illinois  country  and  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
its  people.  While  living  in  this  restlessness  in  his  humble  home 
in  Mackinac,  Providence  sent  him  a  helpmeet  in  the  person  of 
Joliet  whose  life  had  been  one  of  activity  among  the  Indians  along 
the  St.  Lawrence.  These  two  men  with  frail  barks  risked  life 
and  all  for  the  opening  of  the  roadway  into  the  heart  of  the  Illi- 
nois country.  Marquette  after  founding  the  first  church  in 
Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1675,  died  amid  the  forests  along  the 
east  side  of  Lake  Michigan.  His  bones  rest  in  the  mission  he 
loved  so  well  at  Mackinac.  The  great  Mississippi,  the  Missouri, 
the  Ohio,  the  great  bluffs  at  Alton  and  the  Piasa  bird,  the  beauti- 
ful bluffs  and  hills  which  skirt  the  Illinois  River,  Grand  Tower 
rock,  Peoria  Lake,  Starved  Rock,  Buffalo  Rock,  and  Chicago 
portage  were  all  put  on  the  map  by  Marquette  and  Joliet. 

The  story  of  La  Salle  and  Tonti  must  always  be  told  together. 
Their  fortunes  were  destined  to  be  won  or  lost  together.  Many 
fine  qualities  of  head  and  heart  are  found  in  these  inseparable 
friends.  We  know  their  story.  They  gave  France  a  boundless 
empire  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Rockies.  They  revealed 
the  greatness  of  the  Mississippi  as  a  great  artery  of  commerce 
and  trade.  These  two  men  gave  us  Creve  Coeur  and  Fort  St. 
Louis. 

Father  Hennepin's  name  is  intimately  connected  with  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  Upper  Mississippi.  The  Hennepin  Canal  per- 
petuates his  name.  Father  Marest  ministered  to  the  missions 
at  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia  and  at  Peoria.  Father  Mermet  founded 
a  mission  at  the  present  site  of  old  Fort  Massac  in  1711.  He 
afterwards  ministered  to  the  mission  at  Peoria. 

Crozat  was  in  Illinois  from  1712  to  1717.  He  was  seeking  to 
develop  the  mines  which  the  French  thought  could  be  opened 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  His  contribution  to  Illinois  was  the 
extension  and  more  definite  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the 
state. 

Lieutenant  Boisbriant  gave  us  the  first  Fort  Chartres,  1720, 
and  introduced  us  to  the  showy  military  life  of  the  French  in 
America.  Phillipe  Francois  de  Renault  brought  slaves  to  Illinois 
and  thus  helped  to  fix  slavery  in  our  state  which  was  not  abol- 
ished till  well  into  the  nineteenth  century.  Kaskaskia,  a  village 
on  the  portage  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Kaskaskia  River, 
was  a  flourishing  city  of  2,500  people  at  the  close  of  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  It  contained  a  college  as  early  as  1720.  Its 
church  was  the  one  established  at  Old  Kaskaskia  by  Marquette. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  257 

Its  old  bell  given  to  the  church  by  the  King  of  France  is  still  in 
possession  of  the  church. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  French  commanders  of  Fort 
Chartres  was  Neyon  de  Villiers.  He  took  a  company  of  French 
soldiers  from  Fort  Chartres  to  Fort  Du  Quesne  in  midsummer, 
1774,  and  with  the  assistance  of  another  brother  captured  George 
Washington  at  Fort  Necessity,  July  4,  1774.  The  new  Fort 
Chartres  which  was  built  in  1754-7,  was  a  stone  structure  of 
large  dimensions.  It  inclosed  about  four  acres  of  ground.  Its 
walls  rose  from  15  to  18  feet  high,  and  were  more  than  two 
feet  in  thickness.  It  and  the  church  of  St.  Anne,  which  was  in 
the  village  near  by  furnished  the  standards  for  social  and  relig- 
ious life  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  Jesuits 
were  outlawed  in  France  in  1764,  and  in  1766  all  their  posses- 
sions in  Illinois  were  confiscated  by  the  government  and  sold. 
This  order  had  a  large  plantation,  a  monastary,  a  brewery,  and 
other  public  property.  The  monastary  became  the  headquarters 
of  the  British  when  they  moved  from  Fort  Chart  in  1772. 

Chevalier  de  Rocheblave,  the  British  commandant  who  sur- 
rendered Kaskaskia  to  Colonel  Clark,  was  a  well  known  character 
in  Illinois.  He  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British 
government  and  when  the  last  British  commander  left  with  his 
troops  for  Canada,  Rocheblave  was  given  the  command  of  the 
town.  He  was  sent  as  a  prisoner  to  Williamsburg,  Virginia, 
where  he  was  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  He  was  later  released 
and  returned  to  Canada  where  he  was  active  against  the  thirteen 
colonies. 

Pontiac,  an  Ottawa  chief,  was  the  leader  of  the  uprising  of  the 
Indians  in  opposition  to  the  British  at  the  close  of  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  He  was  assassinated  in  the  streets  of  Cahokia. 
His  body  was  taken  to  St.  Louis  and  given  Christian  burial  by 
some  French  friends. 

Fort  Gage  was  a  fort  about  which  little  is  known.  It  was 
built  by  the  French  and  was  probably  occupied  during  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  Captain  Pittman  who  visited  Kaskaskia  in 
1767  says  the  fort  was  on  a  bluff  across  the  river.  He  says  it 
was  burned  in  October,  1766.  This  evidently  has  reference  to 
the  wooden  buildings  inside  the  embankments  which  were  of 
earth.  These  embankments  remain  and  are  very  distinct,  290 
feet  by  265  feet. 

Col.  George  Rogers  Clark,  a  Virginian,  in  command  of  about 
175  soldiers,  captured  Kaskaskia  from  the  British,  July  4,  1778. 
He  afterwards  captured  Cahokia  and  Vincennes.  These  were  not 
hard  tasks  as  there  were  no  British  troops  at  any  one  of  the 
three  places.  Clark's  exploits  gave  the  Americans  a  claim  to  the 
land  as  far  west  as  the  Mississippi.  Col.  John  Todd  a  soldier 
with  Clark  in  the  conquest  of  Illinois,  was  afterward  made  civil 
commandant  of  the  Illinois  country.    He  ruled  from  1779  to  1782, 

11V1 


258  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

though  he  did  not  reside  in  Illinois  during  the  latter  part  of  this 
period.  The  Todd  Record  Book  in  the  keeping  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society  is  one  of  the  rare  original  documents  of  Illinois 
history. 

Starved  Rock  has  become  the  best  known  physical  object  in  the 
state.  It  is  a  bluff  some  125  feet  high  and  covering  not  more  at 
the  base  than  a  few  acres.  It  was  the  site  of  Fort  St.  Louis 
which  Tonti  constructed  about  1682.  The  grounds  hereabouts 
have  been  purchased  by  the  state  and  a  park  is  being  maintained. 
It  is  some  few  miles  below  Ottawa  on  the  Illinois  River.  Between 
Starved  Rock  and  Ottawa  is  Buffalo  Rock.  This  too  is  a  very 
noted  natural  object.  It  is  not  so  high  but  covering  much  more 
ground  than  Starved  Rock. 

Col.  Francis  Vigo,  a  Sardinian,  was  a  Spanish  soldier  and 
served  in  the  West  Indies  and  about  New  Orleans.  He  came  to 
St.  Louis  just  after  the  French  and  Indian  war.  He  was  a  fur 
trader  and  accumulated  considerable  money.  He  was  a  real 
friend  to  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark.  He  furnished  food  and 
clothing  for  Clark's  army.  He  held  at  one  time  $20,000  of  worth- 
less Continental  money  for  which  he  had  furnished  supplies.  He 
died  in  poverty  near  Vincennes  in  1835  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years. 

Gabriel  Cerre  was  a  rich  Frenchman  who  was  a  resident  of 
Kaskaskia  at  the  time  that  Clark  captured  that  town.  The  vil- 
lagers reported  Cerre  as  a  bitter  enemy  of  the  Americans,  but  it 
appeared  upon  investigation  that  the  people  were  jealous  of 
Cerre  and  that  they  hoped  to  win  Clark's  favor  by  turning  on 
Cerre.  Cerre  came  before  Clark  and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance 
and  like  Vigo  rendered  Clark  a  real  service. 

James  Moore  was  one  of  the  two  spies  sent  by  Clark  from 
Kentucky  to  Kaskaskia  in  1777.  He  was  a  captain  in  Clark's 
army.  He  lead  a  band  of  Virginians  to  Kaskaskia  in  the  fall  of 
1781  and  in  the  spring  of  1782  he  lead  his  little  party  to  Belle- 
fontaine  and  settled.  The  old  trail  from  Prairie  du  Rocher 
goes  north  a  few  miles  below  the  bluff,  then  ascends  to  the  upland 
and  runs  north  as  many  as  ten  to  twelve  miles  probably  a  few 
miles  more  and  then  descends  into  the  alluvial  plain.  About  half 
way  across  this  upland  was  Bellefontaine.  This  region  is  full 
of  rather  large  sink  holes,  and  good  springs  are  abundant.  With 
James  Moore  was  one  Rutherford.  Three  other  men,  Bond,  Kidd 
and  Garrison,  settled  in  the  low  lands  near  the  river  and  were 
the  first  Americans  who  settled  in  this  low  bottom  land  and  so 
the  alluvial  plain  from  Alton  to  Kaskaskia  was  afterwards  called 
the  American  Bottoms. 

New  Design  was  settled  by  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  who  was  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  in  1781.  He 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  a  mile  south  of  Bellefontaine.  Mr. 
Lemen  was  the  first  person  who  was  added  to  the  Baptist  Church 


u 
o 

« 

o 

> 

7. 


260  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

by  immersion.  He  became  a  very  influential  pioneer,  and  it  is 
said  was  approached  by  Aaron  Burr  and  solicited  to  join  Burr's 
expedition  down  the  Mississippi. 

By  1796  there  were  salt  works  just  under  the  bluff  west  of 
New  Design.  A  trail  followed  the  foot  of  the  bluffs  from  Prairie 
du  Rocher,  and  on  this  trail  north  of  St.  Phillipe,  which  was  a 
French  village,  was  an  American  village  called  Hull's  Town,  and 
still  further  north  a  village  called  Sandy  Meadows.  South  of 
Prairie  du  Pont  some  five  miles  was  a  settlement  called  Grand 
Risseau,  and  between  Grand  Risseau  and  Prairie  du  Pont  were 
mounds  known  as  Indian  tombs.  Before  1800  there  were  block 
houses  near  each  of  these  villages. 

William  Whiteside,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  native  of  North 
Carolina,  came  to  Illinois  in  1793.  He  was  accompanied  by  John 
Whiteside,  a  brother,  who  also  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  Each 
had  a  son,  respectively  William  and  Samuel,  who  were  captains 
in  the  War  of  1812.  These  people,  with  others,  established  them- 
selves at  a  place  about  four  miles  north  of  the  present  city  of 
Waterloo.  They  built  a  fort  and  the  place  came  to  be  known  as 
Whiteside  Station.  This  came  to  be  known  far  and  wide. 
William  Whiteside  was  accused  of  murdering  an  Indian,  but  the 
grand  jury  refused  to  indict  him  because  they  said  it  was  justi- 
fied. 

The  first  Methodist  Church  in  Illinois  was  founded  at  New 
Design  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lillard  in  1793. 

John  Rice  Jones  was  the  first  lawyer  in  the  Illinois  Territory. 
He  was  born  in  Wales,  educated  in  Oxford  in  medicine  and  law. 
Practiced  law  in  London,  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1784,  was  at 
Louisville  in  1786,  went  with  Clark  against  the  Indians,  took  up 
his  residence  at  Vincennes  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Government.  Lived  at  Kaskaskia,  Vincennes,  and  St.  Louis.  He 
was  a  successful  lawyer,  acquired  vast  areas  of  land,  died  in 
St.  Louis  1824. 

William  Morrison  was  a  pioneer  merchant  who  came  to  Kas- 
kaskia from  Philadelphia  in  1790.  He  was  agent  for  the  firm  of 
Bryant  and  Morrison,  Philadelphia.  He  was  the  founder  of  a 
large  family  of  highly  valued  citizens  who  were  prominent  in 
public  affairs  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  red  savages  attacked  the  American  settlers  in  1786  and 
killed  James  Andrews,  his  wife  and  his  daughter.  In  1788  John 
Vallis  was  killed  and  William  Biggs  was  captured  by  the  Ottawas, 
but  later  released.  In  the  same  year  Samuel  Garrison  and  William 
Reddick  were  killed  and  scalped.  In  1789  four  more  Americans 
were  killed  by  the  savages. 

Blockhouses  and  forts  were  constructed  by  the  settlers  for 
protection  against  the  Indians.  These  defenses  were  often  con- 
structed in  this  wise :  Four  log  houses  would  be  erected,  one  at 
each  of  four  corners  of  a  rectangle.     The  space  between  two 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  261 

corner  houses  on  the  same  side  would  be  filled  by  a  palisade  of 
logs  set  endwise  in  the  ground.  The  enclosed  space  would  often 
cover  as  much  as  an  acre  of  ground.  In  cases  of  great  danger 
the  settlers  took  their  personal  belongings  including  their  live 
stock  inside  these  forts  where  they  remained  till  the  danger  had 
passed.  The  grounds  about  these  forts  were  generally  cleared 
trees  and  underbrush  to  remove  shelter  for  the  approaching  In- 
dians. 

Gen.  John  Edgar,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  an  officer  in  the 
British  navy  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  the 
year  1784.  He  married  a  high  minded  American  woman  who 
urged  him  to  desert  a  losing  cause.  He  was  a  friend  of  La 
Fayette  and  served  with  him  a  short  time.  He  acquired  quite  a 
fortune  in  lands  and  is  said  to  have  owned  as  many  as  50,000 
acres  in  Southern  Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edgar  lived  in  a  beau- 
tifully furnished  old  mansion  in  Kaskaskia  and  set  the  pace  for 
the  social  life  of  the  largest  city  west  of  the  Wabash. 

Falling  Springs  is  a  very  noted  place  which  prior  to  1800, 
was  the  seat  of  a  mill  for  the  grinding  of  grain.  It  is  some  three 
or  four  miles  southeast  of  old  Cahokia.  The  water  gushes  from 
a  crevice  in  the  bluff  some  fifty  or  sixty  feet  above  the  alluvial 
plain  and  in  rainy  weather  the  flow  from  the  spring  is  reinforced 
by  the  drainage  of  the  hills  and  the  falls  become  a  young  Niagara. 
When  the  old  mill  was  in  use  the  water  was  carried  from  the 
descending  current  through  a  hollow  log  to  the  water  wheel. 

The  first  water-mill  that  was  erected  in  the  north  end  of  the 
American  Bottom  was  built  on  the  Prairie  du  Pont  Creek  which 
flows  out  of  the  bluffs  southeast  of  Cahokia  and  finds  its  way 
across  the  Bottom  and  empties  into  the  Mississippi  just  below 
East  Carondalet.  This  was  built  by  the  members  of  the  St. 
Sulpice  mission  which  was  a  vigorous  organization  at  Cahokia. 
The  village  of  Prairie  du  Pont  grew  up  about  this  mill. 

James  Piggot,  John  Doyle,  Robert  Whitehead,  and  a  Mr.  Bowen 
were  soldiers  with  Colonel  Clark  in  1778.  After  the  Revolution- 
ary war  was  over  they  came  to  Kaskaskia  to  settle.  Governor 
Reynolds  says  Doyle  was  well  versed  in  Indian  and  French  and 
frequently  acted  as  interpreter.     He  taught  school. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  ruins  in  the  region  of  Kaskaskia 
is  what  is  known  as  the  Old  Riley  Mill.  This  ruin  is  up  the  river 
somewhat  from  a  point  opposite  the  site  of  Old  Kaskaskia.  The 
bluffs  are  somewhat  broken  and  through  an  opening  in  them  a 
small  stream  emerges.  If  one  will  follow  an  old  road  which 
winds  its  way  up  this  stream  he  will  eventually  come  to  a  strange 
stone  structure  much  like  an  old  bake  oven,  but  considerably 
larger.  There  are  no  placards  indicating  its  use,  and  the  visitor 
may  make  his  own  interpretation.  Following  the  winding  road 
a  few  hundred  feet  further  and  you  come  to  the  ruins  of  what 
was  once  a  very  large  and  completely  equipped  grist  mill.    Pass 


262  •  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  old  ruins  and  go  a  few  hundred  yards  further  up  the  stream 
and  you  are  in  the  presence  of  a  lake  of  moderate  dimensions 
called  Riley's  Lake.  The  lake  is  several  feet  above  the  mill  seat 
and  the  water  if  properly  controlled  would  accumulate  consid- 
erable headway  before  reaching  the  mill. 

There  have  been  three  distinct  periods  in  the  life  of  the  mill. 
Pax  Paget  (Prix  Pagi)  built  a  mill  here  as  early  as  1722. 
Whether  he  made  use  of  the  lake  for  a  headway  is  not  known. 
It  was  the  closest  mill  to  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  and  without 
doubt  did  a  flourishing  business.  It  is  tradition  that  the  mill 
ground  the  flour  with  which  the  French  troops  at  Fort  Du  Quesne 
were  supplied  in  the  French  and  Indian  war.  Shortly  after  this 
war,  the  Kickapoos,  while  on  the  war  path  came  to  this  mill. 
They  murdered  Pax  Paget  and  his  negro  slaves,  mutilated  their 
bodies  and  threw  them  into  the  grain  hopper. 

General  John  Edgar  came  into  possession  of  the  mill,  greatly 
enlarged  it  by  building  a  stone  basement,  and  on  this  stone 
foundation  erected  a  substantial  wooden  building.  He  conducted 
it  as  a  successful  business  till  near  the  date  of  his  death,  1832. 
Later  a  Mr.  Daniel  Riley  operated  the  mill  till  about  1855.  After 
this  the  mill  seems  to  have  gone  into  decay.  When  the  writer 
visited  the  ruins  some  few  years  ago  the  great  frame  work  had 
given  way  and  was  lying  in  ruins  here  and  there.  Many  of  the 
beams  and  sills  of  oak  twenty  or  more  feet  long  and  ten  inches 
square,  seemed  as  sound  as  they  were  the  day  they  were  put 
into  the  building.  The  great  burstones,  without  doubt  brought 
from  France,  were  lying  among  the  rubbish. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ILLINOIS    *    *    *    TERRITORY  OF  FIRST  CLASS 

Territorial  Officials — The  Legislative  Body — A  New 
Method — Treaties  With  the  Indians — Centers  of  Pop- 
ulation— Indian  Barbarities — Battle  of  Tippecanoe — 
Forts  and  Blockhouses. 

Not  since  the  days  of  Col.  John  Todd  had  real  government  come 
so  close  to  the  people  of  Illinois  as  appeared  when  the  secretary 
of  the  Illinois  Territory  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  and  began  to  name 
officials  who  should  carry  out  the  laws  which  should  be  adopted 
when  the  legislative  body  should  assemble. 

Territorial  Officials 

Nathaniel  Pope,  who  had  been  named  by  President  Madison 
as  secretary  of  the  newly  created  Territory,  arrived  at  Kaskaskia 
on  April  28,  1809.  He  immediately  issued  his  proclamation  es- 
tablishing the  Territorial  Government.  He  reestablished  the 
counties  of  St.  Clair  and  Randolph,  giving  them  definite  bound- 
aries. He  appointed  John  Hays  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  county  and 
Benjamin  Stephenson  sheriff  of  Randolph  County.  Other 
officers  were  appointed  including  coroners,  clerks,  and  justices 
of  the  peace. 

Nathaniel  Pope  was  a  brother  of  John  Pope,  a  United  States 
Senator  from  Kentucky,  and  later  governor  of  Arkansas  Terri- 
tory. He  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  1784.  He  received  a 
classical  education  in  Transylvania  College,  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
and  later  at  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri ;  he  became  very  prominent 
as  a  French  scholar.  He  was  named  as  secretary  and  assumed 
the  duties  of  that  office  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years. 

Ninian  Edwards  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1775  and  as  a  young 
boy  had  the  celebrated  William  Wirt  as  tutor.  He  afterwards 
graduated  from  Dickinson  College.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
came  into  Kentucky  where  he  found  friends  in  Henry  Clay  and 
John  Pope.  He  studied  law  and  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession. 
He  was  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  as  governor  of  Illinois 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky.  "The  Ed- 
wards Papers,"  a  large  collection  of  letters  written  to  or  by  him, 
show  his  intimate  relations  with  the  great  men  of  his  day.  Also 
"Life  and  Times  of  Ninian  Edwards"  reveals  his  acquaintance 
with  public  men  of  great  prominence. 

263 


264  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Governor  Edwards  was  recommended  to  President  Madison 
by  Judge  Boyle  of  Kentucky,  Henry  Clay,  and  others.  He  arrived 
at  Kaskaskia  June  11,  1809.  He  took  the  oath  of  office  and 
entered  upon  its  duties.  The  people  of  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia 
who  had  favored  division  formulated  a  very  courteous  and  re- 
assuring address  which  was  read  to  him  at  the  inaugural 
ceremonies.  This  address  as  has  been  said  was  presented  by 
those  who  favored  division,  and  it  was  difficult  for  them  to  keep 
this  fact  from  showing  in  their  public  address.  The  governor 
replied  to  the  address  in  guarded  language;  yet  he  was  bold  to 
say  that  his  only  motives  would  be  those  of  one  who  looked  upon 
office  as  a  public  trust.  He  promised  that  in  appointments  to 
office  he  should  allow  no  system  of  favoritism  to  dictate  selec- 
tions. He  declared  a  partisan,  he  would  not  be.  He  referred 
to  the  hard  fight  which  the  people  had  gone  through  in  securing 
the  separation  of  Illinois  from  Indiana,  and  said  he  deplored 
these  contentions  as  much  as  any  man.  "To  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  the  people  and  the  prosperity  of  this  country  will  always 
engage  my  most  earnest  exertions." 

The  three  judges  originally  appointed  were  Jesse  B.  Thomas, 
Alexander  Stuart,  and  Obadia  Jones.  Judge  Stuart  being  trans- 
ferred to  Missouri,  Stanley  Griswold  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

As  an  inducement  to  men  of  rank  and  ambition  to  accept  office 
in  this  wild  country,  the  Government  provided  that  the  governor 
should  have  1,000  acres  of  land  and  each  judge  should  have  500 
acres  to  be  selected  by  the  officials  wherever  they  wished  to  live. 
Nathaniel  Pope  located  in  Kaskaskia.  Governor  Edwards  se- 
lected his  land  near  Prairie  du  Rocher,  as  did  also  Jesse  B. 
Thomas.  The  governor  brought  slaves  and  herds  of  live  stock  to 
his  home  which  he  called  "Elvirade"  in  honor  of  his  wife  whose 
name  was  Elvira.  He  of  course  spent  much  of  his  time  at  Kas- 
kaskia and  at  the  Salines  near  Equality.  A  law  was  passed  by 
Congress  providing  that  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  should 
have  charge  of  the  United  States  salines.  The  secretary,  Mr. 
Gallatin,  appointed  Governor  Edwards  superintendent  of  the 
salines  in  Illinois.  He  was  authorized  to  make  all  contracts  and 
all  rules  and  regulations  governing  the  leasing  of  the  salt  works. 
Details  about  the  salines  will  begin  in  a  succeeding  chapter. 

The  Legislative  Body 

The  first  legislative  session  of  the  governor,  and  judges  was 
held  June  16,  1809.  Judge  Thomas  had  not  yet  arrived  because 
of  his  duties  as  delegate  from  the  Indiana  Territory  in  the  Con- 
gress at  Washington.  The  governor  and  Judges  Sprigg  and 
Stuart,  therefore  made  up  the  legislative  body.  It  was  the  policy 
of  this  legislative  body  to  introduce  no  new  laws.  The  laws  of 
the  Indiana  Territory,  while  it  was  a  territory  of  the  first  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  265 

the  second  class,  were  adopted.  Governor  Edwards  was  some- 
what embarrassed  in  starting  the  new  government  for  there  were 
still  very  bitter  feelings  remaining,  over  the  fight  for  and  against 
the  division  of  the  territory.  Those  people  who  had  favored 
the  division  felt  that  those  who  had  opposed  division  should  not 
be  appointed  to  office  in  the  new  government.  This  situation 
threatened  to  become  troublesome  especially  in  the  organization 
of  the  militia. 

A  New  Method 

Governor  Edwards  struck  upon  a  happy  alternative  in  the 
matter  of  making  appointments  to  office.  He  issued  an  order 
that  each  company  of  militia  should  elect  its  own  officers  by 
popular  vote.  Then  these  officers  should  elect  the  higher  officers 
of  the  military  organization.  The  plan  he  thought  ought  to 
result  in  the  selection  of  good  men,  and  by  it  also  there  ought  to 
be  no  hard  feelings  as  each  man  who  was  a  candidate  for  a 
position  must  stand  or  fall  upon  his  own  merits.  Governor 
Edwards  also  introduced  popular  elections  as  the  method  of 
choosing  civil  officers  in  the  counties.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  the  secretary,  Nathaniel  Pope,  had  made  quite  a  few  ap- 
pointments to  office  before  the  governor  arrived.  These  persons 
were  not  disturbed  in  the  positions  to  which  they  had  been  ap- 
pointed. Governor  Edwards  left  his  work  in  Kentucky  on  rather 
short  notice  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  that  state  to  adjust 
some  matters  which  others  could  not  attend  to.  When  he  re- 
turned he  took  up  the  matter  of  elections  referred  to  above. 

Treaties  With  the  Indians 

Governor  Harrison  had  been  very  active  in  making  treaties 
with  the  Indians.  In  all-  these  treaties  there  were  cessions  of 
lands  to  the  United  States.  General  Wayne  had  made  the  famous 
Greenville  treaty  in  August,  1795,  with  eleven  distinct  tribes  liv- 
ing in  the  Northwest  Territory.  In  addition  to  this  general 
treaty  with  these  eleven  tribes,  Governor  Harrison  had  made  six 
distinct  treaties  with  smaller  groups  of  the  same  Indians  be- 
tween 1803  and  1809.  In  these  seven  treaties  more  than  40,000,- 
000  acres  of  land  had  been  ceded  to  the  United  States,  most  if  not 
all,  lying  within  the  limits  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  These 
treaties  had  cost  the  Government  more  than  one  and  a  quarter 
million  of  dollars.  Tecumseh  claimed  that  all  the  Indians  in 
Indiana  and  Illinois  were  federated  and  therefore  treaties  were 
not  binding  unless  all  the  federated  tribes  should  agree  to  the 
terms  of  the  treaty.  In  September,  1809,  General  Harrison  made 
a  treaty  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  with  the  Delawares,  Pottawat- 
tomies,  Miamis,  Kickapoos,  Waas  and  Eel  River  Indians.  In 
this  treaty  a  very  large  tract  of  land  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  comprising  about  3,000,000  acres  in  Western  Indiana, 


266  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

lying  east  of  the  Wabash  and  including  some  of  the  territory- 
claimed  by  Tecumseh  as  his  hunting  ground.  His  tribe,  the 
Shawnees,  did  not  participate  in  this  treaty  and  Tecumseh  de- 
nounced it  as  an  unjust  and  illegal  agreement.  He  immediately 
began  planning  vengeance  on  the  whites.  There  had  been  very 
great  dissatisfaction  among  the  natives  since  the  first  of  the 
treaties  in  1803.  The  Indians  believed  that  their  lands  had  been 
bartered  away  and  that  they  saw  themselves  fast  losing  their 
once  productive  hunting  grounds.  Tecumseh  and  his  brother, 
the  prophet,  began  to  fan  the  smoldering  embers  of  dissatisfac- 
tion and  revolt. 

Tecumseh  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  parts.  His  father  was 
a  Shawnee  and  his  mother  was  an  Ottawa  woman.  He  possessed 
the  confidence  of  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  and  was  not  un- 
known as  a  great  warrior  in  distant  parts  of  the  country-  His 
brother,  the  prophet,  was  a  man  of  some  education  and  was 
greatly  under  the  influence  of  the  British  in  Canada.  Tecumseh 
was  a  crafty  statesman.  He  planned  to  organize  the  Indians  into 
a  great  confederacy  whose  purpose  should  be  to  make  war  upon 
the  whites  and  if  possible  drive  them  back  over  the  Alleghany 
Mountains. 

The  relations  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain 
were  strained  and  war  had  been  imminent  for  the  past  four  or 
five  years.  The  nation  was  divided  over  the  justification  of  war 
and  the  President  and  his  friends  hesitated  to  enter  into  war 
since  they  knew  there  was  sectional  opposition,  but  the  conditions 
were  unbearable  and  war  was  finally  declared. 

Centers  of  Population 

The  infant  territory  of  Illinois  was  in  great  danger  in  case 
war  should  come.  There  were,  as  previously  stated,  about  12,000 
people  within  the  limits  of  the  Territory,  but  they  were  greatly 
scattered.  The  towns  of  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  Du  Rocher,  Cahokia 
were  the  only  places  of  any  size.  Other  centers  of  population 
were  more  on  the  order  of  neighborhoods  than  towns.  Shawnee- 
town  had  a  couple  dozen  houses  and  probably  as  many  as  sixty 
or  seventy-five  inhabitants.  The  salt  works  near  the  present 
site  of  Equality  was  an  industrial  center.  There  were  four  or 
five  hundred  people  in  this  locality,  many,  maybe  half,  were  free 
negroes  or  indentured  slaves.  The  place  fluctuated  as  to  popula- 
tion. There  were  well  defined  routes  of  travel  from  the  various 
centers  of  population  in  Kentucky  to  the  United  States  salines, 
and  these  all  centered  at  Shawneetown  where  there  was  a  ferry 
as  early  as  1801.  This  gave  Shawneetown  prominence.  There 
was  also  a  considerable  camp  of  the  Shawnee  Indians  near  the 
town  and  this  gave  rise  to  some  traffic  at  that  place. 

Golconda  in  Pope  County  was  another  crossing  place  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  267 

Ohio  River  and  this  naturally  became  a  settlement  in  a  very 
early  day.  As  early  as  the  coming  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  there 
was  a  well  known  trail  from  Golconda  to  Kaskaskia.  And  in 
1800  when  Governor  Reynolds  came  from  Tennessee  to  Illinois 
he  crossed  the  Ohio  at  Golconda.  He  was  then  a  lad  of  eleven 
years  and  he  says  the  trail  was  marked  out  by  blazing  trees  and 
then  burning  on  the  blazed  surface,  with  hot  iron,  the  number 
of  miles  it  was  from  Golconda  and  to  Kaskaskia,  At  old  Fort 
Massac  there  were  United  States  troops  and  in  the  vicinity  there 
were  quite  a  few  settlers.  In  what  is  now  Johnson  County  there 
were  settlers  in  the  western  part  of  the  county.  The  county  was 
organized  in  September,  1812,  and  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at 
the  home  of  John  Bradshaw,  six  miles  northwest  of  the  present 
city  of  Vienna.  The  place  was  called  Elvira,  probably  in  honor 
of  the  wife  of  Governor  Edwards.  This  was  only  a  short  mile 
west  of  the  trail  taken  by  George  Rogers  Clark  from  Indian  Point 
to  Phelps  Prairie.  There  were  quite  a  few  families  about  Elvira 
at  the  breaking  out  of  Indian  hostilities  in  1811. 

Another  center  of  settlement  was  at  the  present  site  of  Mound 
City.  This  settlement  was  some  five  or  six  miles  above  Cairo  on 
the  Ohio  River.  There  were  four  or  five  families  there  in  1810. 
Due  north  of  the  present  Mound  City  there  was  a  village  called 
Wilkinsonville.  The  old  maps  give  it,  but  its  name  must  have 
been  changed  as  it  appears  to  have  been  about  where  Wetaug 
is  today.  At  the  most  northerly  bend  of  the  Ohio  at  the  most 
easterly  part  of  Pulaski  County  near  the  river  was  a  fort  in  1811 
called  Post  Wilkins.  On  the  Mississippi  below  the  present  town 
of  Thebes  were  several  settlers.  There  were  six  grants  of  land 
there  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  the  Spanish  government 
at  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  The  author  talked  to 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Westbrook,  who  died  in  Eldorado,  Illinois,  a 
few  years  ago  at  a  very  advanced  age,  about  the  War  of  1812. 
He  said  he  was  three  years  old  and  that  his  parents  lived  not  far 
from  Goose  Island,  which  lies  opposite  the  Spanish  grants.  His 
father  had  told  him  that  the  neighbors  were  able  to  keep  on  the 
good  side  of  the  Indians  in  that  region. 

In  1804  seven  brothers  by  the  name  of  Jordan,  John  and 
William  Browning,  Joseph  Estes,  and  a  Mr.  Barbrey,  came  from 
Smith  County,  Tennessee,  and  settled  near  the  line  between 
Williamson  and  Franklin  counties.  It  was  known  as  the  Jordan 
Settlement.  (Sometimes  spelled  Jourdan.)  Thirty  miles  north 
of  the  Jordan  settlement  there  were  two  prairies  called  Moore's 
Prairie  and  Jordan's  Prairie.  There  were  settlements  in  these 
prairies.  Williamson  County  had  settlers  in  Phelps  Prairie  west 
of  Marion,  in  1811.  Settlers  were  scattered  along  the  Big  Muddy 
in  the  northwest  part  of  Williamson  County. 

White  settlers  were  in  Jackson  County  as  early  as  1802.  Two 
families,  Reed  and  Jones,  came  from  about  Kaskaskia  and  settled 


268 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


on  Reed's  Creek,  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  Jackson  County. 
In  1805  William  Boone  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Degognia  Creek 
which  separates  Jackson  from  Randolph.  Quite  a  settlement 
grew  up  here.  By  1811  there  were  settlements  all  along  the  Big 
Muddy  in  Jackson  County.  A  ferry  was  established  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi at  the  Devil's  Backbone  in  1805.  It  was  owned  and 
managed  by  Col.  James  Gill,  who  came  from  South  Carolina. 

The  New  Design  settlements  had  grown  in  numbers,  and  in 
1811  had  spread  to  surrounding  territory.  The  settlements  along 
the  Bottoms  from  Prairie  du  Rocher  to  Cahokia  had  increased, 
and  so  had  the  settlements  in  the  region  east  of  Cahokia  in  St. 
Clair  County. 


AN  OLD-TIME  RESIDENCE  NEAR  PINCKNEYVILLE,  BUILT  IN  1S08 


There  was  an  important  neighborhood  of  hardy  settlers  about 
eight  miles  north  and  a  little  east  of  Belleville,  known  as  the 
Ridge  Prairie  settlement.  Just  a  few  miles  west  of  north  of 
the  present  city  of  Belleville  there  was  another  settlement  known 
as  the  Badgeley's  Settlement.  Then  just  south  and  a  little  east 
there  was  a  settlement  where  in  after  years  a  Mr.  Stookey  lived. 
These  settlements  were  well  peopled  by  1811.  The  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Belleville  was  not  laid  out  till  1814.  The  settle- 
ment called  Goshen  was  just  under  the  bluffs  some  four  and  a 
half  or  five  miles  south  and  a  little  west  of  Edwardsville.  The 
region  was  explored  as  early  as  1799  by  the  Rev.  David  Badgley 
and  others,  and  called  Goshen  on  account  of  the  richness  of  the 
soil  and  the  great  abundance  and  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation. 
The  settlement  which  afterwards  was  called  Goshen  was  made 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  269 

by  one  Ephriam  Conner  in  1800.  In  1801  Colonel  Samuel  Judy- 
purchased  Conner's  interests  and  lived  there  many  years  before 
his  death.  Colonel  Judy's  father,  Jacob,  was  a  pioneer,  a  native 
of  Switzerland,  who  migrated  to  the  United  States  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  moved  from  Maryland  to 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  thence  to  Kaskaskia,  thence  to  New  De- 
sign, and  thence  to  Madison,  where  he  died  in  1807.  The  Goshen 
settlement  never  took  on  the  form  of  a  town,  but  it  was  an 
important  social  and  religious  center.  A  company  of  hardy 
pioneers  who  had  settled  in  other  neighborhoods  farther  south, 
came  to  the  Goshen  settlement  in  1802  and  another  group  in 
1803.  By  1811  this  Goshen  settlement  was  scattered  for  several 
miles  around  the  original  center.  There  were  enough  people  to 
furnish  a  company  in  the  War  of  1812. 

East  of  Edwardsville  in  Shoal  Creek  there  were  settlements 
in  the  vicinity  of  Greenville.  The  Indians  were  greatly  feared 
in  this  region  and  two  forts  were  erected  which  will  be  located 
later.  Scattering  settlements  were  to  be  found  about  Alton  and 
around  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River.  No  more  settlements 
were  to  be  found  toward  the  north  till  Peoria  was  reached.  To 
the  east  of  Peoria  were  the  Indian  villages  of  the  Kickapoos. 
There  were  a  few  scattering  settlers  along  the  Mississippi  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  present  city  of  Warsaw.  Near  Vincennes 
on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  Wabash,  Americans  had  built  homes 
before  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  fact  all  along 
the  Wabash  from  Vincennes  to  Shawneetown  the  country  was 
sparsely  occupied. 

The  great  middle  portion  of  the  state  was  unoccupied  by  white 
people.  In  the  northwest  part  of  the  state  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  lead  mines  there  were  quite  a  few  people  engaged  in  the 
mining  of  lead.  There  were  two  or  three  houses  in  Chicago 
in  1811,  besides  those  occupied  by  the  United  States  troops  sta- 
tioned in  old  Fort  Dearborn.  White  people  were  to  be  found 
also  in  the  region  of  Prairie  du  Chein. 

Indian  Barbarities 

To  show  how  the  Indians  produced  the  greatest  consternation 
in  these  settlements  wherever  they  appeared,  let  us  enumerate 
some  of  the  cruel  butcheries  of  the  Indians  in  the  various  parts 
of  the  Illinois  Territory  up  to  the  early  stages  of  the  War  of 
1812.  In  July,  1810,  a  band  of  Pottawattomies  returning  from 
Western  Missouri,  stole  property  from  citizens  living  on  the 
Missouri  River  toward  its  mouth.  The  whites  pursued  them  and 
when  near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  were  attacked  by  the  Indians 
who  killed  four  of  the  whites.  The  Pottawattomies  lived  in 
Illinois  Territory  and  the  governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand 
on  Governor  Edwards  for  the  arrest  and  punishment  of  the  In- 


270  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

dians.  Governor  Edwards  made  demands  upon  Gomo,  chief  of 
the  Pottawattomies,  and  a  long  and  fruitless  diplomatic  inter- 
course ensued.  In  this  intercourse  it  developed  that  the  Indians 
were  being  urged  to  commit  depredations  upon  the  whites  in 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  that  the  British  were  furnishing  arms 
and  ammunition. 

On  June  2,  1811,  the  Indians  murdered  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Cox  whose  parents  lived  on  Shoal  Creek  in  Bond  County. 
His  sister  was  carried  away  into  captivity  but  later  made  her 
escape  though  badly  wounded. 

On  the  20th  of  June  a  Mr.  Price  was  treacherously  slain  near 
the  present  site  of  Alton.  He  was  a  relative  of  the  Whitesides. 
One  Indian  approached  him,  laid  down  his  gun  and  offered  to 
shake  hands.  Price  thinking  the  Indian  was  friendly  took  his 
hand.  The  Indian  held  him  firmly  while  other  Indians  brutally 
attacked  and  killed  him. 

Other  murders  occurred  in  the  region  about  Belleville,  Ed- 
wardsville,  and  Greenville.  It  appeared  that  in  all  these  murders 
the  bodies  of  the  whites  were  horribly  mutilated.  A  large  mass- 
meeting  was  held  in  St.  Clair  County  and  resolutions  were  form- 
ulated and  forwarded  to  the  governor  and  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1811,  there  were  many  speeches 
exchanged  between  Governor  Edwards  and  the  Indians.  But 
murders  were  reported  from  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Madison.  Later 
during  the  war  two  whole  families  were  butchered  near  the 
present  city  of  Mound  City.  Four  whites  were  slain  in  what  is 
now  Washington  County  in  the  summer  of  1813.  In  1812  Andrew 
Moore  and  his  son  were  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Vernon. 
Barbara  Jourdan  was  killed  at  Jourdan's  Fort  in  1812. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Wood  River  near  Alton,  Mrs.  Reagan  and 
six  children  were  murdered  in  the  early  part  of  1814.  Near  the 
Village  of  Aveston  near  the  Jourdan  Fort,  murders  were  com- 
mitted in  the  early  part  of  this  ante-war  period. 

It  has  been  previously  explained  that  Tecumseh  had  organized 
all  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest  into  a  confederation,  and  set 
up  the  theory  that  one  tribe  could  not  alienate  any  of  its  lands 
without  the  consent  of  the  council  of  headmen  from  all  the 
tribes.  In  1809,  General  Harrison  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the 
Kickapoos  in  which  treaty  the  Kickapoos  ceded  38,000  acres  to 
the  general  Government.  Tecumseh  argued  that  this  was  an 
illegal  cession  and  demanded  of  Governor  Harrison  that  he  se- 
cure its  recession.  There  were  serious  clashes  between  the  In- 
dians and  the  whites  in  Western  Indiana. 

In  October,  1811,  Governor  Harrison  was  constructing  a  small 
fort  where  Terre  Haute  stands.  One  of  the  guards  was  mur- 
dered by  Indians.  Governor  Harrison  looked  upon  this  and  other 
warlike  acts  as  a  sufficient  cause  for  war. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  271 


Battle  of  Tippecanoe 


In  1808  Tecumseh  and  his  brother,  the  Prophet,  built  a  village 
on  the  Tippecanoe  River  toward  its  mouth.  Here  he  made  head- 
quarters and  secured  the  confederation  previously  spoken  of. 
After  the  Kickapoo  cession,  Tecumseh  was  very  busy  visiting 
the  Indians  in  the  Northwest  and  inciting  them  to  open  war 
against  the  whites.  At  the  same  time  the  British  along  the 
lakes  were  very  active  urging  the  Indians  to  unite  to  oppose  the 
further  encroachments  of  the  Americans. 

In  the  summer  of  1811  Tecumseh  took  twelve  of  his  most 
trusty  warriors  and  went  south  to  secure  the  assistance  of  the 
Indians  in  the  region  south  of  the  Tennessee.  Tecumseh  passed 
through  the  portion  of  Williamson  County  where  Marion,  the 
county  seat,  is  now  located.  He  went  south  along  the  trail 
through  Phelps  Prairie  where  he  met  John  Phelps  after  whom 
the  prairie  was  named.  Phelps  talked  to  Tecumseh  and  after- 
wards told  the  early  settlers  of  his  interview  with  the  great 
chieftain.  Tecumseh  did  not  return  to  the  region  of  the  Wabash 
till  after  the  battle  of  the  Tippecanoe. 

In  the  fall  of  1811,  Governor  Harrison  raised  an  army  of  800 
whites  and  about  500  Indians.  The  whites  came  chiefly  from 
Indiana  and  Kentucky.  There  were  no  military  organizations 
from  Illinois,  but  there  were  several  citizens  of  Illinois  in  the 
expedition  to  the  Tippecanoe  country  headed  by  Governor  Harri- 
son. Among  those  from  Illinois  was  Col.  Isaac  White,  who  was 
government  agent  at  the  United  States  salines  near  Equality. 
Colonel  White  was  a  friend  of  Governor  Harrison  and  accom- 
panied him  to  the  battle.  He  was  unfortunately  killed  in  the 
battle. 

It  is  probable  that  Governor  Harrison  hoped  to  evade  a  contest 
of  arms  when  he  went  north  with  his  army.  When  he  reached 
the  vicinity  of  the  camps  of  the  Indians,  he  sent  forward  word 
that  he  should  be  glad  to  confer  with  a  representative  of  the 
chief.  A  conference  was  held  and  Harrison  was  told  that  on 
the  morrow  further  steps  would  be  taken  to  establish  permanent 
friendship  between  the  whites  and  the  Indians.  That  night  Har- 
rison's men  slept  with  their  loaded  guns  at  their  sides.  About 
4  o'clock  the  whites  were  aroused  by  a  furious  onslaught  upon 
them.  It  was  exceedingly  fortunate  that  Harrison  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  have  his  men  sleep  upon  their  arms.  The  con- 
flict raged  into  the  early  morning,  and  resulted  in  a  victory  for 
the  whites.  The  Prophet  was  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  battle 
on  a  hill  overlooking  the  battlefield.  He  engaged  in  all  forms  of 
mysterious  incantations.  When  told  that  the  bullets  of  the 
whites  were  killing  his  braves,  he  told  them  to  continue  the 
contest  as  it  would  soon  change.  The  actual  leaders  of  the  battle 
were  chiefs  of  the  tribes  who  had  gathered  at  this  point  in 


272  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

answer  to  the  call  of  Tecumseh  and  his  brother.  The  names  of 
three  of  these  chiefs  were — White  Coon,  Stone  Eater,  and  Winne- 
mac. 

The  losses  were  large  for  so  short  a  time.  The  Americans 
lost,  killed  in  action,  thirty-five;  died  from  wounds,  twenty-five; 
wounded,  128.  The  Indians  left  thirty-eight  dead  on  the  battle- 
field. The  town  was  burned,  crops  destroyed,  and  the  place 
rendered  unfit  for  a  capital  of  the  confederation.  When  Tecumseh 
returned  from  the  south  he  was  much  cast  down  upon  realizing 
the  extent  of  the  crushing  blow  which  Governor  Harrison  had 
dealt  his  warriors.  Tecumseh  proceeded  to  Canada  where  he 
joined  the  British  in  the  war  which  was  then  just  beginning 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States. 

The  victory  which  General  Harrison  won  over  the  Indians 
in  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe,  marked  him  as  a  great  commander 
in  border  warfare.  In  this  battle  he  commanded  250  United 
States  regulars,  some  600  or  700  militiamen,  and  a  few  hundred 
Indians.  He  returned  to  Vincennes  and  made  his  report  to  the 
President  of  the  United  Etates. 

Forts  and  Blockhouses 

We  have  digressed  from  the  story  of  Illinois  to  recount  the 
incidents  of  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  for  the  purpose  of  empha- 
sizing the  conditions  which  Illinois  must  face  in  a  year  or  so. 
From  the  standpoint  of  the  United  States  Government,  the 
problem  in  the  Northwest  was  the  same  everywhere  regardless 
of  the  boundary  line  of  states. 

Governor  Edwards  was  commissioned  as  governor  of  the  Ter- 
ritory of  Illinois  on  April  24,  1809.  He  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  on 
June  11,  1809.  The  first  task  was  the  organization  of  the  civil 
machinery  for  the  preservation  of  life  and  the  protection  of 
property.  There  had  been  bitter  feelings  and  one  death  over  the 
separation  of  Illinois  from  Indiana.  There  was  rivalry  between 
the  factions  which  had  taken  part  in  the  separation  fight,  over 
the  appointments  which  the  governor  was  authorized  to  make. 
This  bad  spirit  the  new  chief  executive  wished  to  pacify.  He 
frankly  told  them  he  would  favor  no  factions.  In  taking  a 
strong  stand  for  harmony  he  won  the  respect  and  support  of  all 
factions.  But  he  was  in  office  only  a  few  months  when  the  war 
clouds  began  to  gather.  Bands  of  Indians  began  to  roam  over 
the  country  and  became  an  evil  omen  to  the  quiet  pioneers  every- 
where. The  governor  early  put  the  proper  interpretation  into 
the  darkening  clouds.  He  secured  some  help  from  the  general 
Government,  but  relied  largely  upon  the  resources  of  the  ter- 
ritory. There  was  one  simple  thing  that  could  be  done  every- 
where— that  was  to  construct  substantial  defenses — forts  and 
blockhouses. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  273 

The  blockhouses  of  the  War  of  1812  did  not  differ  from  the 
blockhouses  which  the  colonists  erected  in  New  England  and 
the  middle  sections  of  the  old  thirteen  colonies.  It  was  usually 
a  square  log  house  reaching  some  eight  or  nine  feet  to  the  sec- 
ond story.  This  second  story  was  built  so  as  to  project  over  the 
first  story  three  or  four  feet.  The  second  story  was  usually  low, 
possibly  not  more  than  five  feet  high  around  the  sides  of  the 
building.  It  was  covered  with  clapboards.  A  strong  oak  door 
with  crude  pioneer  lock  would  withstand  the  attacks  of  strong 
hands  from  without.  Portholes  were  arranged  and  the  fort 
provided  with  supplies  of  food  and  ammunition.  The  problem 
of  securing  water  for  those  within  the  fort,  or  blockhouse,  was 
sometimes  difficult  of  solution.  In  most  cases  the  timber  or  at 
least  the  underbrush  was  cleared  away  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance on  all  sides  of  the  blockhouse.  This  would  prevent  the 
Indians  from  coming  too  close,  and  also  gave  an  unobstructed 
view  from  the  defense  in  all  directions. 

One  form  of  fort  consisted  in  erecting  at  each  of  the  four 
corners  of  a  square,  a  blockhouse  similar  to  the  one  described 
above,  and  then  building  a  palisade  some  twelve  feet  high  in 
the  four  spaces  reaching  from  one  house  to  another.  The  area 
enclosed  with  often  quite  large,  and  there  were  frequently  sheds 
or  other  shelters  within  the  enclosure. 

The  blockhouses  were  often  used  as  homes  but  the  palisaded 
forts  were  used  only  in  emergencies.  The  larger  structures 
were  built  by  the  neighborhood  and  in  case  of  real  danger,  the 
whole  people  moved  in  taking  the  stock  and  other  belongings. 
The  author  well  remembers  listening  to  the  recital  of  the  har- 
rowing days  of  1812  by  an  old  lady,  Mrs.  Medusa  Piper,  who 
lived  near  Kaskaskia,  and  who  said  she  had  many  times  sought 
safety  within  the  blockhouse  or  the  palisade. 

No  maps  in  the  histories  which  have  previously  been  pub- 
lished show  all  the  "forts"  as  they  were  usually  called.  As  the 
country  was  settled  up  these  structures  were  torn  down  or  used 
for  other  purposes  and  the  place  where  they  stood  is  actually 
forgotten.  Of  course  the  site  of  old  Fort  Dearborn  was  marked 
by  the  buildings  themselves  till  late  in  the  last  century.  It  was 
first  built  in  1803  and  was  very  noted  by  1812.  It  was  a  palisade 
with  a  sort  of  blockhouse  at  one  corner  and  with  barracks,  and 
officers'  quarters  within.  It  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  Chi- 
cago River  a  few  hundred  yards  from  its  mouth. 

The  site  of  old  Fort  Massac  has  been  preserved.  This  fort 
was  on  the  Ohio  River  one  mile  above  the  City  of  Metropolis, 
the  county  seat  of  Massac  County.  It  was  an  earth  embank- 
ment of  rectangular  form  enclosing  probably  one-fourth  of  an 
acre.  At  the  four  corners  of  the  fort  bastions  were  constructed 
after  the  form  common  among  the  French  in  the  early  days  in 
the  New  World.     There  may  have  been  a  palisade  erected  on 


274  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  earth  work  as  without  it  the  earth  walls  could  have  been 
easily  scaled.  The  old  earth  walls  and  bastions  are  well  pre- 
served and  the  state  has  purchased  more  than  a  hundred  acres 
upon  which  it  has  erected  a  keeper's  home.  The  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution  were  instrumental  in  preserving  the 
grounds  and  fort,  and  in  erecting  a  monument  in  side  the  fort 
outline. 

Old  Fort  Chartres  was  of  no  value  in  the  War  of  1812,  as 
it  had  been  abandoned  in  1772  and  was  overgrown  with  trees, 
underbrush,  and  vines.  The  southwest  wall  had  been  under- 
mined by  the  river,  and  the  whole  situation  was  one  of  desola- 
tion. It  was  four  miles  northwest  of  the  present  village  of 
Prairie  du  Rocher,  in  Randolph  County.  Fort  Russell  was  a 
wooden  structure  built  by  Governor  Edwards  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  of  Edwardsville.  It  has  been  difficult  to 
get  a  description  from  anyone  in  that  vicinity  and  difficult 
to  find  a  written  description.  Two  or  more  cannons  were 
brought  to  Fort  Russell  from  the  ruins  of  Fort  Chartres,  and 
were  later  the  playthings  of  the  young  boys  in  that  neighbor- 
hood. It  is  reported  that  a  junk  dealer  passed  one  day  and 
offered  to  buy  one  of  the  cannons  from  the  boys.  They  agreed 
on  a  price  and  the  junk  dealer  carried  away  a  precious  relic  of 
the  days  of  Louis  XIV. 

Then  there  was  Fort  St.  Louis  on  Starved  Rock.  This  fort 
was  abandoned  in  1700  by  Tonti,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  it 
was  occupied  in  the  early  days  of  the  eighteenth  century,  at 
least  in  a  military  way.  The  settlements  at  the  foot  of  the 
rock  were  flourishing  in  the  early  part  of  that  century,  but 
in  1718  the  fort  proper  was  burned  and  the  place  was  evidently 
no  longer  used  for  military  purposes. 

The  lower  Wabash  was  guarded  in  the  War  of  1812  by  as 
many  as  five  temporary  forts  and  blockhouses.  One  known 
as  Fort  La  Motte  was  located  in  what  is  now  Crawford  County, 
a  little  south  of  east  of  Robinson,  the  county  seat,  near  the 
Wabash  River.  It  was  built  in  1813.  South  of  Fort  La  Motte 
was  a  blockhouse,  or  fort,  in  the  northern  edge  of  Lawrence 
County.  Fort  Sackville  was  of  course  east  of  the  Wabash,  at 
Vincennes,  but  it  too  served  as  protection  to  Illinois.  It  was 
built  there  by  the  French  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  It  was  the  famous  fort  captured  by  George  Rogers 
Clark  in  1778.  Just  north  of  Vincennes  was  Fort  Knox  built 
in  1788.     This  fort  was  also  in  the  Indiana  Territory. 

Lower  down  on  the  Wabash  River,  and  in  the  territory  ad- 
jacent thereto  was  Skillet  Fork  Fort.  This  was  in  White  County 
and  was  in  the  forks  of  the  Little  Wabash  and  Skillet  Fork 
Creek,  a  few  miles  north  of  Carmi.  Further  south,  in  Saline 
County  was  a  fort  whose  ruins  impress  the  traveler  of  today. 
It  is  a  few  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Stone  Fort  on  the  Big 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  275 

Four  Railroad.  This  fort  was  discovered  by  the  surveyors  who 
laid  off  Illinois  into  townships,  and  back  of  this  we  so  far  know 
nothing  of  the  fort.  Mr.  A.  L.  Kelley  of  the  village  of  Stone 
Fort  is  having  the  Spanish  Archives  at  Seville,  Spain,  searched 
for  the  origin  of  this  fort  on  the  theory  that  it  is  of  Spanish 
origin.  It  was  constructed  of  broken  stones  of  considerable 
size,  and  enclosed  probably  one-eighth  of  an  acre.  The  walls 
were  about  eight  feet  high  and  were  well  built.  The  stones 
were  brought  from  the  valley  below  to  the  top  of  a  bluff  some 
sixty-five  feet  above  the  valley.  The  walls  are  somewhat  dilap- 
idated— people  having  rolled  the  stones  down  the  bluff  for 
amusement.  This  fort,  known  as  Stone  Fort,  was  probably 
used  or  held  ready  for  use  in  the  days  of  the  war.  It  is  on  the 
old  Indian  trail  from  Golconda  to  Kaskaskia. 

There  were  no  defenses  about  Shawneetown  which  at  this 
time  was  a  village  of  some  twenty  or  more  cabins  together  with 
two  brick  buildings.  Other  blockhouses  were  built  in  what  is 
now  Hardin  and  Pope,  but  their  location  cannot  be  established. 
On  the  big  bend  of  the  Ohio  in  the  eastern  part  of  Pulaski 
County  was  a  fort  called  Post  Wilkins  which  was  built  about  the 
year  1800. 

But  it  was  in  the  present  vicinity  of  Williamson  and  Frank- 
lin counties  that  fort  building  was  carried  on  with  the  greatest 
interest.  In  1804  seven  Jordan  brothers  settled  in  Franklin 
County.  One  of  them  a  short  time  afterwards  moved  south  a 
few  miles  which  brought  him  within  the  present  County  of 
Williamson.  Here  he  built  a  fort  by  erecting  a  strong  stockade 
enclosing  an  acre  of  ground.  Inside  the  stockade  were  several 
cabins  and  a  well.  This  fort  appears  just  on  the  line  between 
Franklin  and  Williamson.  Another  fort  was  built  south  a  few 
miles  of  the  city  of  Benton,  the  present  county  seat  of  Franklin 
County.  This  second  fort  was  known  as  Frankfort  and  eventu- 
ally grew  into  the  thriving  city  of  that  name  today.  On  the 
Big  Muddy,  in  the  extreme  northwestern  corner  of  Williamson 
County,  there  was  a  blockhouse  built  by  the  early  settlers.  Her- 
rin's  Prairie  was  settled  in  1811  but  it  is  said  the  Indians  were 
so  threatening  that  the  first  settler,  one  Hibbins,  was  obliged  to 
seek  safety  where  there  were  more  settlers.  In  1802  the  Shaw- 
nees  and  Kaskaskias  fought  a  desperate  battle  near  the  Big 
Muddy  and  the  blockhouse  was  afterwards  built  near  if  not 
on  the  battlefield.  Ruffin  Harrison,  now  deceased,  who  lived  in 
Herrin  said  he  remembered  the  blockhouse  well.  Another  fort 
was  built  in  the  edge  of  Phelps  Prairie  south  and  west  of  Ma- 
rion, the  date  is  fixed  at  1811.  There  were  no  blockhouses  or 
forts  in  Union  and  Jackson;  but  in  what  is  now  Randolph  and 
Monroe  counties  there  were  several  defenses  constructed.  Prob- 
ably old  Fort  Gage  was  not  in  use  at  this  time.  The  buildings 
of  that  fort  were  burned,  so  Captain  Pittman  says,  in  October, 


276  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1766,  and  there  is  no  information  which  would  justify  our 
saying  that  the  fort  was  ever  rebuilt.  The  old  earthworks  are 
very  much  like  those  at  Fort  Massac.  The  dimensions  being 
about  300  by  250  feet.  Between  Kaskaskia  and  Old  Cahokia 
there  were  several  defenses  constructed. 

The  New  Design  and  Bellefontaine  were  protected  by  a  fort 
from  the  earliest  times.  These  settlements  were  just  south  of 
Waterloo,  and  were  begun  as  early  as  1786.  On  Fountaine  Creek 
in  the  American  Bottom  there  was  a  fort.  This  was  built  as 
early  as  1790.  There  was  a  fort  known  as  Piggott's  Fort  a 
short  distance  south  of  Cahokia.  Whiteside's  Station  was  a 
fortified  home  which  was  built  by  William  Whiteside,  some 
miles  north  of  Waterloo.  On  Silver  Creek  east  of  the  present 
East  St.  Louis  there  was  what  was  called  Chambers  Fort.  It 
was  not  far  from  Lebanon  on  the  edge  of  Looking  Glass  Prairie. 
Jones  Fort  and  Hill's  Fort  were  on  Shoal  Creek  east  of  Ed- 
wardsville.  In  Clinton  County  there  was  a  blockhouse  near 
Carlyle;  also  one  near  Troy  in  Madison  County.  Governor 
Reynolds  tells  about  building  a  fort  on  Wood  River  near  Alton. 
A  fort  was  constructed  near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River,  and 
another  was  built  about  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois  on  the  peninsula  between  the  Illinois  and  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  was  built  by  Maj.  John  Campbell  of  the  United 
States  Army  while  he  was  on  a  march  toward  the  northwest 
portion  of  Illinois.  Fort  Edward  and  Fort  Johnson  were  built 
in  1814.  They  were  in  Hancock  County.  Fort  Clark  was  erect- 
ed in  1813  on  the  present  site  of  Peoria.  Without  doubt  many 
other  defenses  were  erected  and  served  a  good  purpose  whose 
history  has  not  been  recorded. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  WAR  OF  1812 

Causes  of  the  War — Loss  of  Detroit — The  Rangers — The 
Fort  Dearborn  Massacre: — The  Illinois  Campaigns — 
Captain  Craig  at  Peoria — The  Governor  Invades  the 
Enemy's  Country — The  Campaign  of  1813 — Atrocities 
Continue — Treaties. 

War  between  two  countries  may  often  exist  without  a  formal 
declaration.  The  people  of  the  United  States  were  in  war  with 
the  subjects  and  allies  of  Great  Britain  for  more  than  a  year 
before  a  declaration  of  war  was  passed  by  the  American  Con- 
gress. While  there  may  not  have  been  any  formal  alliance 
between  the  Indians  of  the  regions  west  of  the  Alleghanies  and 
the  British  Government  in  Canada,  there  was  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  an  alliance  which  was  as  effective  as  ever  existed 
between  any  two  governments.  The  Indians  and  the  British  of 
Canada  were,  during  the  latter  part  of  1810  and  through  1811, 
in  open  hostility  toward  the  whites  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois. 
The  declaration  of  war  was  not  passed  by  Congress  without  a 
contest.  As  a  party,  the  democrats  were  for  the  war,  while  the 
old  federalist  party  was  opposed.  We  are  not  particularly  in- 
terested in  the  causes  of  the  war  only  to  discover  what  way 
the  people  of  the  Illinois  Territory  were  involved  in  the  causes 
and  the  results. 

War  was  declared  in  June,  1812.  The  President  sent  a  war 
message  to  the  Congress  on  June  1,  1812.  In  this  message  he 
reviewed  the  relations  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  and  summed  up  the  causes  of  war. 

Causes  of  the  War 

The  President  showed  that  the  following  policies  which  Great 
Britain  had  sustained  toward  the  United  States  constituted  a 
sufficient  cause  of  war. 

1.  The  impressment  of  American  seamen. 

2.  Patroling  of  our  Atlantic  Coast  with  armed  vessels  to 
prevent  our  merchantmen  from  enjoying  the  freedom  of  the 
sea. 

3.  Interfering  with  our  commerce  on  the  high  seas. 

4.  Encouraging  the  Indians  to  attack  our  settlers  on  the 
western  frontier;  for  furnishing  these  savages  with  guns,  am- 
munition, and  other  supplies. 

277 


278  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  President's  message  was  carefully  considered  in  Con- 
gress behind  closed  doors  and  when  the  final  vote  was  taken  on 
the  resolution  declaring  war,  in  the  House  it  stood:  for,  79 
against,  49.  In  the  Senate  the  vote  stood :  for,  19 ;  against,  13. 
It  passed  the  Senate  on  the  17th  of  June,  1812,  and  the  Presi- 
dent signed  it  the  same  day,  and  two  days  later,  June  19,  1812, 
the  President  issued  his  declaration  of  war.  The  resolution  was 
as  follows: 

"Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  war  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  de- 
clared to  exist  between  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  and  the  dependencies  thereof,  and  the  United  States 
of  America  and  their  territories ;  and  that  the  President  of  the 
United  States  is  hereby  authorized  to  use  the  whole  land  and 
naval  force  of  the  United  States  to  carry  the  same  into  effect, 
and  to  issue  to  private  armed  vessels  of  the  United  States,  com- 
missions, or  letters  of  marque,  and  general  reprisal,  in  such 
form  as  he  shall  think  proper,  and  under  the  seal  of  the  United 
States,  against  the  vessels,  goods,  and  effects  of  the  government 
of  the  said  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and 
the  subjects  thereof." 

It  has  been  intimated  that  a  state  of  war  existed  in  the  re- 
gions northwest  of  the  Ohio  for  more  than  a  year  prior  to  the 
above  action  taken  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  The 
declaration  of  war  was  soon  known  in  this  western  country  and 
war  was  then  entered  into  with  renewed  determination.  It  has 
already  been  shown  that  blockhouses  and  forts  were  built  pretty 
generally  over-  Southern  Illinois.  The  governor  had  given  en- 
couragement to  the  organization  of  local  companies  of  militia. 
These  early  military  companies  were  not  under  the  command  of 
the  governor,  but  were  volunteer  organizations.  The  line  sep- 
arating the  settled  from  the  unsettled  parts  of  the  state  might 
be  traced  as  follows :  From  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River 
eastward  through  Alton,  thence  to  Fort  Russell,  near  Edwards- 
ville,  and  from  there  northeast  through  the  north  side  of  Bond 
County.  The  line  then  dipped  southeast  to  where  Salem,  Marion 
County,  is,  thence  into  Wayne  County,  thence  northeast  through 
Richland  and  Lawrence,  through  Crawford  and  Clark  counties 
to  the  Indiana  line.  Nearly  all  the  12,000  whites  lived  south  of 
this  line  and  the  Indians  held  high  carnival  north  of  this  line. 

Loss  of  Detroit 

When  war  was  declared,  there  were  ten  regiments  in  the 
United  States  military  establishment,  but  the  actual  number  of 
men  was  less  than  5,000.  A  large  part  of  these  were  stationed 
in  the  West  in  various  forts  not  to  exceed  a  hundred  men  in 
some  of  them.  The  strategic  position  in  the  West  was  Detroit 
at  the  west  end  of  Lake  Erie.  Gen.  William  Hull,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier  was  territorial  governor  of  Michigan,  and  by 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  279 

virtue  of  his  experience  and  his  position  as  governor  was  held 
responsible  for  the  defense  of  Detroit.  He  commanded  prob- 
ably 1,000  men.  He  was  ordered  to  cross  Detroit  River  and 
capture  Fort  Maiden  and  then  to  sweep  up  the  peninsula  and 
join  other  forces  from  Niagara  and  thus  overrun  Canada.  He 
crossed  into  Canada  and  besieged  Fort  Maiden,  but  gave  up  the 
siege  and  returned  to  Detroit.  General  Brock  was  hastening  to 
prevent  Hull's  invasion  of  Canada  and  with  an  army  of  1,000 
he  crossed  the  Detroit  River  above  the  city  and  ordered  the 
surrender  of  the  fort,  the  town  of  Detroit,  and  all  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Michigan.  Hull  complied  August  16,  1812.  Mackinaw 
was  previously  surrendered,  July  17,  and  thus  the  whole  of 
Michigan  was  lost  and  Indiana  and  Illinois  were  exposed. 

General  Hull  justified  his  surrender  on  the  ground  that  his 
supply  of  provisions  were  very  limited;  that  Mackinaw  had 
surrendered,  and  that  the  British  forces  from  that  direction 
would  be  free  to  attack  him  from  the  north.  That  there  was 
no  hope  of  relief  from  Niagara,  and  that  if  he  should  resist  the 
siege  and  later  be  compelled  to  surrender,  that  his  army  and 
the  800  people  of  the  town  would  appease  the  Indians  with 
their  lives. 

The  Rangers 

In  the  summer  of  1812  Congress  passed  a  law  creating  a 
regiment  of  ten  companies  of  rangers  in  the  West.  It  was  put 
in  command  of  Col.  William  Russell,  an  Indian  fighter  from 
Kentucky.  The  several  companies  were  to  be  made  up  of  the 
hardy  pioneers  of  the  several  localities  where  their  services  were 
most  needed.  Four  companies  were  allotted  to  Illinois.  These 
were  organized  under  Captains  Wm.  B.  Whiteside,  James  B. 
Moore,  Jacob  Short,  and  Samuel  Whiteside.  These  rangers 
furnished  their  own  horses,  provision,  equipment  and  served 
for  $1  a  day.  Two  companies  were  organized  in  Missouri,  and 
four  companies  were  to  be  organized  in  Kentucky.  The  regi- 
ment was  to  be  known  as  the  Seventeenth.  Independent  com- 
panies of  rangers  were  also  organized.  Three  or  four  com- 
panies were  recruited  on  the  Wabash  and  on  the  Ohio  about 
Shawneetown.  They  were  under  Captains  Willis  Hargrave, 
Wm.  McHenry,  Nathaniel  Journey,  and  Thomas  Craig.  Capt. 
Wm.  Boone,  an  early  settler  on  the  Big  Muddy  River,  organized 
a  company  in  the  present  limits  of  Jackson  County.  A  company 
was  organized  as  early  as  1809  in  St.  Clair  County.  Abram 
Clark  was  the  captain.  As  the  war  proceeded  the  governor 
authorized  the  formation  of  additional  companies.  During  the 
early  part  of  the  Indian  troubles,  local  military  forces  were 
active  in  defense  of  Illinois ;  there  were  as  many  as  three  dif- 
ferent regiments  organized.  At  different  times  there  were 
changes  in  the  officers  of  the  regiments  and  companies,  and 
thus  it  appears  from  the  rosters  that  there  were  more  officers 


280  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

than  were  needed  for  the  three  regiments.  At  one  time  Col. 
Michael  Jones  commanded  the  First  Regiment;  Col.  William 
Whiteside  commanded  the  Second  Regiment;  Col.  Isaac  White, 
the  Third.  After  war  was  declared  in  the  summer  of  1812, 
the  governor  reorganized  his  military  forces  and  there  were 
four  regiments.  The  earlier  commissioned  officers  resigned  and 
younger  men  were  promoted,  and  new  enlistments  gave  a  new 
membership  to  the  regiments  and  companies.  The  new  organ- 
izations were  maintained  till  the  close  of  the  war,  but  the  in- 
dividual make-up  changed  very  greatly  from  time  to  time. 

The  Fort  Dearborn  Massacre 

The  reports  of  United  States  troops  in  the  several  stations 
in  the  Illinois  Territory,  including  Vincennes  and  Fort  Madison 
were  as  follows;  Fort  Massac,  on  the  Ohio  River,  36;  Fort 
Madison,  across  the  Mississippi  from  Nauvoo,  44;  Vincennes 
and  vicinity,  117;  Fort  Dearborn,  53.  Total,  250.  These  reg- 
ulars did  little  of  the  real  task  of  defending  the  remotely  settled 
parts  of  the  country.  That  task  was  left  to  the  militia  com- 
panies and  to  the  volunteer  rangers. 

General  Hull  surrendered  Detroit  on  August  16,  1812.  On 
the  7th  of  August,  Captain  Heald  received  an  order  from  Gen- 
eral Hull  to  evacuate  Fort  Dearborn  and  proceed  to  Fort  Wayne. 
This  information  was  soon  noised  abroad.  The  officers  under 
Captain  Heald  as  well  as  John  Kinzie,  the  Government  Indian 
agent,  advised  against  abandoning  Fort  Dearborn,  since  Gen- 
eral Hull  had  given  Captain  Heald  discretion  in  the  matter.  The 
Indians  were  gathering  about  Fort  Dearborn  in  large  numbers 
and  were  hostile  in  their  attitude.  At  the  same  time  they  were 
very  persistent  in  taking  liberties  about  the  fort.  The  friendly 
Indian,  Winnemac,  who  brought  the  order  from  General  Hull, 
knew  the  hostile  intentions  of  the  Indians.  He,  John  Kinzie, 
and  Lieutenant  Helm  all  advised  against  giving  up  the  fort. 
But  Captain  Heald  seemed  to  lack  decision  and  for  three  or  four 
days  after  receiving  the  order  from  General  Hull  halted  be- 
tween two  opinions.  The  friendly  Indian  suggested  that  if  it 
were  Heald's  intention  to  abandon  the  fort  to  do  so  at  once 
and  with  all  haste.  But  he  argued  that  with  the  supply  of  pro- 
vision and  ammunition  with  which  the  fort  was  supplied  that 
a  siege  of  six  months  could  be  withstood. 

When  Mr.  Kinzie  and  the  officers  in  the  fort  say  they  could 
not  prevail  on  Captain  Heald  to  remain  in  the  fort  they  with- 
drew their  counsel  and  conferred  only  among  themselves  and 
awaited  the  fateful  day.  The  soldiers  became  restless  and  in- 
subordinate. The  Indians  soon  became  aware  of  the  conditions 
at  the  fort.  They  gathered  in  larger  numbers  from  the  sur- 
rounding territory.     Captain  Heald  was  told  that  the  friendly 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  281 

relations  which  he  thought  obtained  between  the  garrison  and 
the  Indians  was  reduced  to  the  frailest  ties.  The  good  offices 
of  John  Kinzie  and  his  family  was  all  that  stood  between  the 
Americans  and  their  treacherous  neighbors.  It  was  pointed  out 
that  their  retreat  from  the  fort  would  be  slow  as  he  was  deter- 
mined to  take  certain  provisions  and  then  there  were  women 
and  children  to  be  provided  for. 

Word  had  been  received  by  the  Indians  from  Tecumseh  that 
Michilimackinac  had  been  surrendered  to  the  British,  that  Gen- 
eral Hull  was  retreating  from  Canada,  and  that  without  doubt 
he  would  be  forced  to  surrender  Detroit.  They  were  advised  to 
hold  themselves  under  arms  ready  for  any  emergency. 

On  August  12,  Captain  Heald  called  a  conference  of  the  chiefs 
and  prominent  whites  who  were  about  the  fort.  It  was  the 
purpose  to  devise  ways  and  means  which  would  enable  Captain 
Heald  to  conduct  his  garrison  to  Fort  Wayne  in  safety.  It  has 
been  stated  that  the  subordinate  officers  did  not  attend  as  they 
did  not  want  to  share  the  responsibility  for  what  might  happen. 
On  the  contrary  they  remained  at  the  fort  and  when  the  council 
had  assembled,  the  officers  and  soldiers  opened  the  port  holes 
and  ran  into  position  the  loaded  cannon  where  they  could  be 
seen  by  the  Indians  at  the  council,  and  it  is  believed  that  this 
action  on  the  part  of  those  in  the  fort  is  the  only  thing  that 
prevented  a  massacre  while  the  council  was  in  session.  In 
this  council  Captain  Heald  revealed  his  determination  to  leave 
the  fort.  He  promised  the  Indians  present  that  he  would  leave 
the  Government  stores  in  the  fort  and  that  they  might  be  di- 
vided among  the  Indians.  There  was  also  a  quantity  of  storesi 
in  the  Indian  agency  in  charge  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  these,  too,  were 
promised  the  Indians.  In  return  the  Indians  promised  to  give 
him  an  escort  of  friendly  warriors  to  accompany  him  to  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana. 

There  was  within  the  fort  a  quantity  of  liquor,  ammunition, 
and  food.  Mr.  Kinzie  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  Indian 
character.  He  knew  a  fatal  mistake  had  been  made,  and  that 
it  was  probably  too  late  to  remedy  it.  Captain  Heald,  after 
he  had  left  the  council  and  returned  to  the  fort,  seemed  to 
realize  the  dilemma  in  which  he  now  found  himself.  Here  Cap- 
tain Heald  seemed  to  come  to  his  senses  and  desired  very  much 
to  undo  some  things  he  had  done,  but  he  had  adopted  a  policy 
against  the  wise  counsel  of  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his  own  officers. 
However,  the  policy  was  to  be  reversed.  It  was  decided  that 
all  liquor  should  be  poured  out,  the  guns  broken  to  pieces  and 
the  powder  thrown  into  the  river,  except  what  was  to  be  taken 
with  them  on  the  march  to  Fort  Wayne.  A  part  of  this  changed 
program  was  carried  out,  that  is  the  goods  within  the  fort,  and 
in  the  warehouse  at  the  Kinzie  home,  were  distributed  among 


282  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  Indians.  These  goods  consisted  of  blankets,  broadcloths, 
calicoes,  paints,  and  other  articles.  There  was  no  liquor,  nor 
guns,  nor  powder,  .and  the  Indians  were  greatly  disappointed. 

The  night  following  the  distribution  of  the  goods,  the  gar- 
rison was  busy  destroying  the  surplus  guns,  amunition,  and  the 
liquors.  The  Indians  were  very  indignant  and  they  hung  about 
the  fort  and  crawled  in  the  grass  and  discovered  what  was  going 
on.  They  even  crawled  along  the  edge  of  the  Chicago  River 
and  drank  the  water  which  carried  the  whisky  toward  the  lake. 
It  has  been  thought  that  the  chiefs  among  the  Pottawattomies 
felt  themselves  strong  enough  to  restrain  their  warriors  from 
deeds  of  violence.  But  when  they  learned  that  the  guns,  pow- 
der and  whisky  had  been  destroyed,  they  expressed  grave  doubts 
as  to  their  ability  to  longer  hold  their  young  men  in  check. 
Winnemac,  who  brought  the  order  from  General  Hull  to  Captain 
Heald,  was  a  Pottawattomie  chief.  He  had  kept  from  the  In- 
dians some  news  as  to  the  situation  in  Michigan  which  he  thought 
would  render  the  warriors  more  unmanageable. 

Another  of  the  Pottawattomie  chiefs  was  Black  Partridge, 
who  wore  suspended  from  his  neck  a  medal  which  had  been 
given  to  him  by  President  Madison  for  services  rendered  in 
maintaining  friendly  relations  between  the  Indians  and  the 
whites  in  the  Western  territory.  He  saw  that  his  people  had 
murder  in  their  hearts  and  he  so  reported  to  Captain  Heald. 
This  chief  came  to  the  fort  and  in  an  interview  with  Captain 
Heald  said:  "Father,  I  come  to  deliver  up  to  you  the  medal  I 
wear.  It  was  given  to  me  by  the  Americans,  and  I  have  long 
worn  it  in  token  of  our  mutual  friendship.  But  our  young  men 
are  resolved  to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  the  whites. 
I  can  not  restrain  them,  and  I  will  not  wear  a  token  of  peace 
while  I  am  compelled  to  act  as  an  enemy." 

On  the  14th  of  August  there  arrived  at  the  fort  Captain  Wil- 
liam Wells  with  a  force  of  thirty  friendly  Miamis.  He  had  come 
in  all  haste  from  Fort  Wayne  when  he  heard  that  Fort  Dearborn 
was  in  distress.  Captain  Wells  was  an  uncle  of  Mrs.  Heald,  and 
an  officer  of  marked  distinction.  The  arrival  of  Captain  Wells 
was  hailed  with  a  sigh  of  relief  by  the  weary  garrison.  All 
through  the  day  of  the  14th  preparations  were  in  progress  for 
the  departure  on  the  morning  of  the  15th.  Each  man  was  given 
twenty-five  rounds  of  ammunition.  The  wagons  were  in  readi- 
ness for  the  departure. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  August  the  people  were  all 
astir  making  ready  for  the  fateful  march  which  by  order  of  the 
commanding  officer  should  begin  at  9  o'clock.  Mr.  Kinzie,  the 
Government  Indian  agent,  had  agreed  to  march  with  the  soldiers, 
as  he  felt  that  he  could  be  of  service  to  the  whites  in  case  there 
might  arise  trouble  along  the  way.  Mrs.  Kinzie,  with  her  four 
young  children,  were  to  go  by  boat  along  the  southerly  bend  of 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  283 

Lake  Michigan  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River.     She  was 
to  be  accompanied  by  a  nurse,  a  clerk  in  Mr.  Kinzie's  office,  two 
servants,  the  boatmen  and  two  Indians  who  were  to  give  protec- 
tion to  Mrs.  Kinzie  and  her  little  company.    Mr.  Kinzie  was  told 
by  a  friendly  Indian  that  he  ought  to  accompany  Mrs.  Kinzie 
in  the  boat,  as  the  garrison  would  be  attacked  by  the  Indian 
escort  which  was  made  up  of  500  Pottawattomies.     But  Mr. 
Kinzie  felt  that  his  place  was  with  the  soldiers. 

All  was  breathless  expectation  as  at  9  o'clock  Captain  Wells, 
with  his  face  blackened,  at  the  head  of  a  part  of  his  Miami  band 
rode  forward.     Next  in  line  were  twelve  militiamen,  followed 
by  the  regulars.     Next  came  the  wagons  carrying  the  camp 
equipage,  food,  women,  children,  and  the  sick.    Bringing  up  the 
rear  were  Miami  Indians,  Mrs.  Heald,  and  Mrs.  Helm.     A  few 
musicians  played  a  dead  march.     The  Indian  escort  was  sup- 
posed to  bring  up  the  rear,  but  they  moved  to  the  right  as  they 
marched  southward  and  were  hidden  from  the  garrison  by  sand 
hills.     They  had  reached  what  is  now  Fourteenth  Street,  two 
blocks  south  of  the  Illinois  Central  Station,  when  Captain  Wells, 
who  was  in  front,  discovered  the  savages  to  his  right  making 
ready  to  attack  the  little  army.    He  rode  back  to  the  main  body 
of  soldiers  and  reported  what  he  had  observed.    Captain  Heald 
marched  his  men  west  200  or  300  yards  to  the  sand  hills,  where 
they  came  in  view  of  the  Indians.     The  Indians  attacked  them 
furiously.     Captain  Heald  ordered  his  men  to  return  the  fire, 
whereupon  the  savages  retreated,  some  to  the  north  and  some 
to  the  south.     They  then  flanked  the  little  army,  and  Captain 
Heald  says  that  in  fifteen  minutes  the  savages  had  possession  of 
the  horses  and  wagons.     The  Miamis  were  so  completely  taken 
by  surprise  that  they  fled  and  rendered  no  assistance.     Captain 
Heald,  with  his  soldiers,  took  his  stand  on  an  elevation  somewhat 
distant  from  the  scene  of  the  first  attack,  where  he  later  sur- 
rendered.    The  Indians  who  flanked  the  soldiers  then  attacked 
the  women,  children,  the  sick,   and  the  wounded.     When  the 
massacre    was    over    there    were    twenty-six    regulars,    twelve 
militiamen,  two  women,  twelve  children,  Ensign  George  Ronan, 
Dr.  Isaac  V.  VanVoorhis  and  Capt.  William  Wells  dead  upon 
the  field  of  carnage.     Captain  Heald,  Lieutenant  Helm,  twenty- 
five  regulars,  and  eleven  women  and  children  were  taken  pris- 
oners.   The  prisoners  were  scattered  among  the  different  tribes. 
Many  died  of  wounds,  some  actually  starved  and  some  were 
killed  for  various  reasons  and  some  lived  through  the  great  trial. 
The  boat  which  contained  Mrs.  Kinzie  was  overtaken  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Chicago  River  and  brought  back  to  the  fort.    Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kinzie,  with  their  family,  were  allowed  to  return  to 
their  home,  across  the  Chicago  River  opposite  the  fort.     Here 
Mrs.  Captain  Heald  was  ministered  to,  she  having  been  severely 
wounded. 


284  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

On  the  16th  of  August  the  Indians  set  fire  to  the  fort  and 
soon  afterwards  scattered  in  different  directions.  Some  of  the 
prisoners  were  held  for  ransom  and  some  were  released.  Cap- 
tain and  Mrs.  Heald  were  taken  to  St.  Joseph's  River,  where 
they  were  left  with  a  sister  of  charity.  From  here  they  went 
to  Mackinaw,  thence  to  Buffalo.  The  bones  of  those  killed  at  the 
massacre  lay  on  the  sandy  beach  some  four  years,  when  they 
were  gathered  up  by  some  soldiers  stationed  at  the  new  Fort 
Dearborn  and  buried  close  to  the  fort.  The  bones  in  later  years 
were  buried  in  a  cemetery. 

The  details  of  this  horrible  tragedy  have  been  written  by  Mrs. 
Helm,  wife  of  Captain  Helm.  She  was  the  stepdaughter  of  Mr. 
Kinzie.  Mrs.  Helm  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  massacre.  She 
was  struck  with  a  tomahawk  and  was  severely  wounded.  She 
grappled  with  the  Indian  who  struck  her,  but  she  was  rescued  by 
Black  Partridge,  who  dragged  her  to  the  lake  and  immersed  her 
in  the  water,  allowing  her  face  to  remain  exposed.  By  this  she 
knew  he  wished  to  save  her  life.  She  was  required  to  remain  in 
the  water  till  the  conflict  was  over.  She  was  then  taken  back  to 
the  Chicago  River  and  in  a  measure  ministered  unto.  Her  story 
of  the  many  incidents  is  too  heart-rending  to  repeat. 

The  Illinois  Campaigns 

In  the  spring  and  early  summer  of  1812  Governor  Edwards 
was  very  busy  organizing  his  troops  and  gathering  supplies 
preparatory  to  the  campaigns  which  he  later  conducted  through 
the  central  part  of  the  state. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  troublesome  nest  of  Indians  and  French 
gathered  about  the  Peoria  Lake.  They  were  reported  to  be 
engaged  in  seditious  conduct.  The  Indians  occupied  the  territory 
east,  and  all  along  the  Illinois  River  from  Peoria  toward  Chi- 
cago. It  was  understood  by  Governor  Edwards  that  many  of 
the  Indian  raids  were  planned  by  the  whites  who  lived  in  Peoria. 

The  governor  gathered  all  his  available  militia  forces  at  Camp 
Russell  in  the  early  fall  of  1812,  with  the  purpose  of  leading  an 
expedition  into  the  enemy's  country  on  the  upper  Illinois  River. 
The  total  number  of  troops  gathered  at  Camp  Russell  was  not  to 
exceed  400.  These  included  six  companies  of  United  States 
Rangers  under  the  command  of  Col.  William  Russell  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  volunteer  troops  were  divided  into  two  regiments, 
commanded  by  Col.  Elias  Rector  and  Col.  Benjamin  Stephenson. 
There  were  majors  and  captains  to  the  number  of  ten  or  twelve. 
There  were  two  or  three  independent  units,  one  under  Capt. 
Samuel  Judy,  consisting  of  twenty-one  men  recruited  from  the 
neighborhood  of  Goshen,  near  Edwardsville. 

This  expedition  into  Central  Illinois  was  what  might  be  called 
mounted  infantry.  Each  soldier  furnished  his  own  horse,  and 
was  directed  to  prepare  twenty  days'  rations  which  should  be 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  285 

packed  on  his  horse.  There  were  no  wagons  to  be  taken  on  the 
march.  It  was  expected  that  the  horses  would  secure  their  prov- 
ender from  the  grasses  of  the  prairies.  The  little  army  took 
up  its  line  of  march  on  the  18th  of  October,  1812. 

Captain  Craig  at  Peoria 

Before  the  little  army  took  up  its  departure  from  Camp  Rus- 
sell the  governor  detached  Capt.  Thomas  E.  Craig,  of  Shawnee- 
town,  from  the  main  command  and  ordered  him  to  take  charge 
of  two  boats  and  proceed  to  Peoria,  where  he  was  to  remain  till 
the  overland  expedition  reached  that  vicinity.  One  of  the  boats 
was  well  supplied  with  provisions,  ammunition,  guns  and  other 
military  supplies.  The  other  carried  tools  and  implements  for 
the  construction  of  forts.  There  were  enough  men  properly  to 
guard  the  boats  and  even  to  take  the  initiative  in  case  of  neces- 
sity. Captain  Craig  was  given  considerable  discretion  as  to  the 
course  he  should  pursue  when  he  should  reach  Peoria. 

Captain  Craig  landed  at  Peoria  on  the  5th  of  November,  1812, 
and  left  the  place  on  the  9th.  In  his  report  to  the  governor, 
made  December  10th,  1812,  he  describes  somewhat  in  detail  the 
incidents  of  this  expedition.  He  claimed  that  the  homes  in  the 
town  were  deserted.  He  took  out  of  the  homes  some  furniture 
and  other  things  that  pleased  his  fancy,  and  justified  it  because 
the  whites  were  at  war  with  the  Indians,  and  the  whites  of 
Peoria  were  helping  the  Indians. 

The  morning  of  the  6th  there  appeared  in  the  village  Thomas 
Forsyth,  a  secret  agent  of  the  Government,  whose  employment 
as  an  agent  was  not  known  to  the  Indians.  Captain  Craig  be- 
lieved that  Forsyth  was  the  instigator  of  the  opposition  of  the 
Peorians  to  the  United  States  and  to  Illinois.  Mr.  Forsyth  could 
not  reveal  his  real  attitude  to  Captain  Craig,  and  was  obliged  to 
submit  to  arrest  and  to  indignities  at  the  hands  of  Captain 
Craig.  Forsyth  claimed  the  goods  which  Captain  Craig  had 
taken,  and  Captain  Craig  affirmed  in  his  report  that  he  gave  up 
most  of  them.  Captain  Craig  burned  most  of  the  village,  includ- 
ing the  fine  home  of  Lecroix.  He  then  forced  the  people  who 
remained  in  the  village  on  his  boats  and  returned  to  near  Alton. 
He  visited  Camp  Russell  and,  not  finding  Governor  Edwards,  he 
left  a  letter  for  him  as  follows : 

Camp  Russell,  Nov.  16,  1812. 

Dear  Sir:  This  comes  to  inform  you  that  I  arrived  last  eve- 
ning from  Peoria,  and  am  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do,  as  I  have 
a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  place  as  prisoners  with  me, 
and  a  considerable  quantity  of  property  of  different  Sioux  chiefs. 
I  wish  very  much  to  see  you  or  to  hear  from  you  as  soon  as 
possible.    I  am,  dear  sir, 

Your  most  obdt. 

Governor  Edwards.  Thos-  E-  Crai£- 


286  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Captain  Craig  discharged  his  prisoners  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Mississippi  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  River.  There 
were  few  if  any  settlers  in  that  locality  and  these  refugees  suf- 
fered great  hardships  in  reaching  St.  Louis,  where  they  were 
cared  for.  There  were  about  seventy-five  of  them — men,  women, 
and  children.  Some  of  them  were  able  to  return  to  their  homes 
before  the  spring  of  1813,  among  them  Mr.  Forsyth,  the  Gov- 
ernment secret  agent.  Captain  Craig  says  in  his  report:  "I 
burned  down  about  half  of  the  town  of  Peoria,"  and  among  the 
houses  burned  was  a  very  fine  house  built  by  Lecroix.  It  was 
elegantly  furnished,  and  from  it,  while  burning,  the  soldiers 
under  the  direction  of  Captain  Craig,  took  valuable  articles 
which  were  brought  back  by  Captain  Craig. 

The  Governor  Invades  the  Enemy's  Country 

It  was  stated  above  that  Governor  Edwards  left  Camp  Russell 
on  the  18th  of  October,  1812.  An  account  of  this  expedition 
was  written  by  Governor  John  Reynolds  in  1855  and  published 
in  his  history,  "My  Own  Times."  This  account  has  been  the 
source  of  most  of  the  descriptions  which  have  been  written,  and 
I  shall  give  a  free  interpretation  of  the  details  as  given  by  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds.  In  the  fall  of  1812  John  Reynolds  was  a  young 
man  twenty-three  years  old.  He  had  just  returned  from  his  law 
studies  in  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  He  joined  Captain  Judy's  spy 
company  and  accompanied  the  governor  on  his  invasion  of  the 
Indian  country.  The  army  marched  up  into  the  present  County 
of  Macoupin  and  on  north,  crossing  the  Sangamon  a  few  miles 
east  of  Springfield.  Thence  to  Elkhart  Grove  and  thence  to  a 
Pottawattomie  village,  which  they  found  deserted.  They  burned 
the  wigwams  and  proceeded  to  the  village  of  the  Black  Part- 
ridge, on  the  Illinois  River,  at  the  upper  end  of  Lake  Peoria. 
They  approached  within  five  miles  of  the  village  and  camped  for 
the  night.  Governor  Reynolds  says  in  his  account  of  this  night 
that  the  soldiers  were  nervous,  and  that  they  slept  with  their 
loaded  guns  at  their  sides.  The  horses  remained  saddled,  and 
tied  very  near  the  owners'  places  on  the  ground.  They  all 
thought  of  the  possibility  of  the  repetition  of  the  battle  of  Tip- 
pecanoe. 

On  the  morrow  the  army  moved  closer  to  the  Indian  village. 
They  approached  its  immediate  vicinity  to  find  that  the  men, 
women,  and  children  had  just  taken  their  departure.  The 
militiamen  fell  upon  the  deserted  village  and  soon  wrecked  the 
cabins.  The  fleeing  savages  were  pursued  and  several  of  their 
number  killed.  The  army  did  not  remain  long  at  this  point.  It 
was  the  general  plan  that  General  Hopkins,  with  2,000  Ken- 
tuckians,  was  to  join  with  Governer  Edwards'  expedition  at 
Peoria  Lake  for  an  invasion  of  the  more  northern  parts  of  the 
state.     General  Hopkins  was  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  287 

had  been  sent  to  Vincennes  to  organize  his  army,  most  of  the 
members  of  which  were  from  Kentucky.  This  expedition  left 
Vincennes  early  in  October,  1812,  and  proceeded  up  the  Wabash. 
When  out  from  Vincennes  a  few  days,  the  army  rebelled  against 
going  further,  and  after  conferences  and  voting,  the  army  was 
headed  back  to  Vincennes.  Among  the  officers  in  this  small 
army  was  Capt.  Zachary  Taylor. 

When  Governor  Edwards  could  hear  nothing  of  General  Hop- 
kins' army,  he- decided  to  stay  no  longer  in  the  vicinity  of  Peoria 
Lake,  and  the  army  under  the  governor's  command  returned  to 
Camp  Russell,  where  they  arrived  the  1st  of  November,  having 
been  gone  thirteen  days.  It  appears  from  the  account  of  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds  that  the  militiamen  were  not  mustered  out,  but 
were  given  leave  of  absence,  and  they  returned  to  their  homes. 

The  military  campaigns  in  Illinois  in  the  summer  of  1812 
were  not  very  successful.  The  friends  of  the  governor,  in  jus- 
tifying his  activities  for  this  year,  argued  that  the  Indians  were 
held  in  check  and  even  severely  punished.  That  the  militia  had 
had  quite  a  lot  of  real  experiences,  that  the  loss  to  the  Indians  in 
the  number  killed,  the  villages  burned,  the  crops  destroyed,  had 
been  a  sufficient  punishment  for  their  depredations  in  the  years 
1810  and  1811.  Notwithstanding  the  severe  treatment  which 
the  Indians  received  at  the  hands  of  the  whites  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1812,  they  still  continued  to  commit  all  kinds  of  horrid 
atrocities  in  the  winter  of  1812-13.  It  was  reported  that  thir- 
teen whites  were  killed  in  the  early  spring  of  1813.  While  these 
whites  were  thus  being  sacrificed,  the  governor  was  planning 
extensive  campaigns  for  the  summer  of  1813.  It  was  the  gov- 
ernor's policy  to  leave  his  people  who  remained  with  the  "stuff" 
well  protected.  Looking  to  that  end,  he  ordered  all  blockhouses 
and  forts  to  be  repaired  and  to  be  carefully  guarded  during  the 
absence  of  the  active  military  forces. 

The  military  operations  for  the  summer  of  1813  were  under 
the  direction  of  General  Benjamin  Howard,  a  former  governor 
of  the  Missouri  Territory.  Troops  were  assembled  from  Mis- 
souri, Illinois,  Indiana,  and  some  from  Kentucky.  All  the  Illi- 
nois troops  were  organized  in  one  regiment  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Benjamin  Stephenson.  There  were  two  majors,  W.  B. 
Whiteside  and  John  Moredeck.  Joseph  Philips,  Samuel  Judy, 
Nathaniel  Journey,  and  Samuel  Whiteside  were  captains.  The 
Illinois  troops  assembled  at  Camp  Russell.  The  destination  was 
Peoria.  Gomo,  the  most  active  chief  among  the  Illinois  Indians, 
lived  just  above  Peoria. 

The  Illinois  troops  were  to  co-operate  with  the  Missouri 
troops.  They  were  to  unite  somewhere  near  the  present  city  of 
Quincy.  The  Missouri  troops  consisted  of  one  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Colonel  McNair,  afterwards  governor  of  the  State  of 
Missouri.  The  two  regiments  after  joining  early  in  the  fall 
marched  over  on  the  Illinois  in  the  vicinity  of  Peoria.     The 


288  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

troops  cut  logs  and  built  Fort  Clark.  The  United  States  Regu- 
lars and  the  Indians  had  a  small  engagement  near  Peoria  Lake 
before  the  command  of  General  Howard  arrived.  In  November 
the  army  was  ordered  back  to  their  respective  states.  The  Illi- 
nois troops  arrived  at  Camp  Russell  on  October  22,  and  were 
sent  to  their  homes  for  the  winter.  There  were  many  murders 
committed  by  the  red  savages  in  the  spring  of  1814. 

Atrocities  Continue 

The  military  operations  of  1814  differed  from  those  of  the 
two  preceding  summers.  The  success  of  the  United  States  on 
Lake  Erie,  the  recapture  of  Detroit,  and  the  glorious  victory  of 
General  Harrison  in  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  in  which  Tecum- 
seh  was  killed,  all  combined  to  drive  the  Indians  further  west, 
and  they  gathered  in  great  numbers  on  the  upper  Mississippi. 
Their  defeats  and  losses  were  humiliating,  and  with  the  en- 
couragement of  the  British  they  nerved  themselves  to  more 
savage  butcheries  than  ever  before.  From  the  regions  in  the 
western  part  of  Wisconsin,  bands  of  the  various  tribes  made 
their  way  to  the  thickly  settled  parts  of  Southern  Illinois  and 
committed  all  forms  of  crimes.  One  of  the  most  regrettable 
of  these  crimes  was  the  murder  of  a  Mrs.  Reagan  and  her  six 
children  on  Wood  River,  east  of  Alton,  in  July,  1814.  The  sav- 
ages were  pursued  into  the  Sangamon  country,  where  the  leader 
was  killed.  The  Rangers  rendered  valuable  service  in  protecting 
the  settlements  from  greater  danger. 

The  general  in  command  in  this  western  area,  General  How- 
ard, was  absent  from  his  post  in  the  summer  of  1814,  and  leader- 
ship fell  to  Governor  William  Clark  of  St.  Louis.  He  organized 
a  flotilla  of  barges  to  carry  an  expedition  by  water  from  St. 
Louis  to  the  center  of  the  Indian  camps  about  Prairie  du  Chien. 
This  naval  expedition  left  St.  Louis  about  the  first  of  May,  1814. 
There  were  five  armed  barges,  carrying  200  soldiers.  On  the 
approach  of  the  armed  barges,  the  Indians  scattered  and  their 
camps  were  occupied  about  Prairie  du  Chien  by  the  soldiers.  A 
fort  was  built  and  named  Fort  Shelby.  Governor  Clark  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis  and  while  he  was  away  the  Indians  and 
British  came  across  Wisconsin  from  Green  Bay,  surprised  and 
captured  a  part  of  Governor  Clark's  army.  The  soldiers  were 
paroled  and  the  British  and  Indians  took  possession  of  the  fort 
and  warehouses.  The  barges  were  still  in  possession  of  Gov- 
exmor  Clark's  soldiers.  These  were  reenforced  by  more  than  a 
hundred  soldiers  sent  to  their  relief  from  St.  Louis  in  three 
barges  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Campbell. 

Above  Rock  Island  Lieutenant  Campbell's  vessel  was  run 
ashore,  where  it  was  boarded  by  Indians  and  set  on  fire.  Many 
of  Lieutenant  Campbell's  men  were  killed,  Campbell  himself  was 
wounded.     The  other  two  boats,  under  command  of  Captains 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  289 

Riggs  and  Rector,  were  farther  up  the  stream.  When  they 
became  aware  of  the  situation  they  came  to  the  rescue  of  Lieu- 
tenant Campbell.  Captain  Rector  succeeded  in  getting  the  men 
off  of  Campbell's  boat,  but  Campbell's  boat  and  Captain  Riggs' 
boat  were  taken  and  plundered  by  the  Indians.  Captain  Rector 
reached  St.  Louis  with  his  cargo  of  human  freight.  Governor 
Reynolds  says  the  soldiers  who  came  back  with  Captain  Rector 
were  a  distressing  sight.  They  were  worn  down  to  skeletons 
and  were  fit  only  for  the  hospital. 

The  British  and  Indians  were  gathering  about  Rock  Island  and 
Prairie  du  Chien  in  large  numbers.  They  were  well  armed  and 
had  six  field  pieces  of  artillery.  Against  such  a  force  the  small 
expeditions  that  we  had  sent  up  to  that  locality  were  unable  to 
cope.    But  another  expedition  was  planned. 

Maj.  Zachary  Taylor,  later  to  win  great  glory  in  the  Mexican 
war  and  to  serve  a  short  time  as  President  of  the  United  States, 
was  appointed  to  command  a  third  expedition  up  the  Mississippi. 
Early  in  the  fall  of  1814  he  sailed  from  St.  Louis  with  eight 
barges  and  450  men.  Forty  were  regulars  and  the  rest  Rangers 
and  volunteers.  The  prime  purpose  of  this  third  expedition  was 
to  build  and  maintain  a  fort  of  considerable  pretensions  in  the 
heart  of  the  Indian  country.  Near  the  mouth  of  Rock  River  the 
boats  encountered  Indians,  cannon,  and  British  Red  Coats. 
Major  Taylor  engaged  the  Indians  on  a  small  island  and  while 
so  engaged  his  own  boats  were  subjected  to  a  very  destructive 
bombardment  from  the  British  cannon  stationed  along  the  shore 
of  the  river.  Major  Taylor  made  good  his  retreat  and  came 
down  the  Mississippi  to  about  where  Warsaw,  Hancock  County, 
is,  and  there  built  Fort  Edwards.  Here  the  expedition  lingered 
for  several  weeks,  when  they  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  the 
volunteer  soldiers  were  discharged,  October  18,  1814. 

Treaties 

The  war  was  officially  ended  by  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  December 
24,  1814.  The  Indians  were  held  in  check  by  the  fact  that  the 
British  had  made  peace  with  the  United  States,  though  treaties 
with  the  Indians  were  not  made  till  July,  1815.  The  President 
appointed  Governor  William  Clark,  Governor  Ninian  Edwards, 
and  Hon.  Augusta  Chouteau  to  make  treaties  with  the  leading 
Indian  tribes  that  had  been  allied  with  the  British  in  the  War  of 
1812.  The  American  commissioners  and  the  representatives  of 
two  or  three  of  the  tribes  in  the  Northwest  agreed  to  the  basis 
of  a  future  treaty  in  July,  1815.  The  following  year  this  treaty 
with  slight  modifications  was  formally  signed  by  representatives 
of  most  of  the  tribes,  including  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  and  the 
Pottawattomies.  Other  treaties  were  signed  with  the  Waas, 
Peorias,  and  Illinois.  In  the  treaty  of  1816  the  Indians  ceded 
1,418,400  acres  of  land,  chiefly  in  Illinois.  In  two  treaties  made 
in  1818,  17,886,280  acres  of  land  were  ceded  to  the  United  States. 

12V1 


CHAPTER  XXI 

ILLINOIS  A  TERRITORY  OF  THE  SECOND  CLASS 

Illinois  a  First  Class  Territory — The  Legislature  Organ- 
ized— Some  Early  Laws — Land  Titles — Delegate  in 
Congress  —  Preemption  Laws  —  Shadrach  Bond  —  In- 
creased Immigration — Civil  Administration — Banks — 
Cairo 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  for  the  government  of  the 
territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River  until  it  should  be  admitted 
into  the  Federal  Union  as  individual  states. 

Illinois  a  First  Class  Territory 

In  1809  Illinois  Territory  was  separated  from  Indiana  Terri- 
tory. The  territory  which  was  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
authority  of  the  government  to  be  established  therein  was  all 
that  region  north  of  the  Ohio  River,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
west  of  the  Wabash  River  and  a  line  running  due  north  from 
Vincennes  to  the  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  the 
Territory  of  Canada.  When  the  Act  of  Separation  was  passed, 
February  3,  1809,  Illinois  became  a  territory  of  the  first  class — 
having  a  governor,  three  judges  and  a  secretary.  In  the  original 
Ordinance  of  1787,  5,000  legal  voters  were  necessary  before  the 
territory  could  pass  from  the  first  class  to  the  second  class.  In 
the  ordinance  as  revised  by  the  first  Congress  under  the  Con- 
stitution, the  territory  might  pass  to  a  second  class  when  a 
majority  of  the  voters  expressed  themselves  favorable  to  such 
action,  "Notwithstanding  there  may  not  be  therein  5,000  free 
male  inhabitants  of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  upwards." 
In  the  "Life  of  Governor  Edwards,"  he  is  made  to  say  that  "he 
chose  to  be  guided  by  a  deliberate  expression  of  the  will  of  the 
people."  But  Governor  Edwards  was  a  politician,  and  just  what 
the  motives  were  which  caused  him  to  desire  that  the  territory 
should  pass  to  the  second  class  will  not  be  easily  judged.  On 
March  14,  1812,  he  called  an  election  the  first  Monday  in  April, 
at  which  the  people  should  express  their  wish  relative  to  a 
change  from  a  first  class  to  a  second  class  territory. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787,  which  provided  the  basis  for  the  gov- 
ernment in  this  territory,  provided  that  the  governor  must  own 
1,000  acres  of  land;  the  judges,  secretary  and  members  of  the 
Upper  House  of  the  legislative  body  should  own  500  acres  each ; 
representatives  must  own  200  acres  of  land ;  the  last  straw  that 

290 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  291 

broke  the  camel's  back  reads:  "That  a  freehold  of  fifty  acres 
of  land  in  the  district"  was  necessary  for  the  privilege  of  the 
franchise.  Out  of  12,000  inhabitants  which  were  in  Illinois  in 
1812,  2,000  of  them  were  twenty-one  or  over,  and  had  the  proper 
age  requirement  for  voting,  but  it  was  very  likely  that  not  more 
than  400  of  the  2,000  owned  the  necessary  amount  of  land  which 
was  required  in  order  to  be  able  to  vote. 

It  therefore  fell  out  that  on  the  day  set  for  voting  on  whether 
Illinois  should  pass  to  a  territory  of  the  second  class,  that  only 
about  300  votes  were  cast  on  the  question.  A  very  large  majority 
of  the  votes,  however,  favored  the  change  to  a  territory  of  the 
second  class.  Word  was  conveyed  to  Congress,  which  on  May 
21,  1812,  raised  the  territory  to  the  second  class.  The  require- 
ment that  a  voter  must  be  a  landholder  was  abolished. 

By  reason  of  the  military  operations  in  the  summer  of  1812, 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter,  the  governor  was  too  greatly 
interested  to  give  any  time  to  other  matters.  But  on  September 
14th,  1812,  the  governor  issued  a  proclamation  creating  three 
new  counties,  Madison,  Gallatin,  and  Johnson.  These  three  new 
counties,  together  with  St.  Clair  and  Randolph,  made  five  coun- 
ties. The  County  of  Madison  included  all  of  Illinois  Territory 
north  of  an  east  and  west  line  which  was  an  eastward  extension 
of  the  present  boundary  line  between  St.  Clair  and  Madison. 
The  house  of  Thomas  Kirkpatrick  was  made  the  county  seat  of 
Madison  County;  the  Village  of  Shawneetown  was  to  be  the 
county  seat  of  Gallatin  County ;  and  tne  house  of  John  Bradshaw 
was  to  be  the  seat  of  justice  for  Johnson  County.  On  tne  same 
day,  September  16th,  the  governor  by  another  proclamation 
called  an  election  for  the  8th  of  October,  1812,  for  the  election 
of  members  of  the  Legislature  and  a  delegate  in  Congress.  This 
election  was  held  when  the  people  were  in  the  midst  of  a  war 
and  there  was  no  great  amount  of  interest  in  the  choice  of 
officials. 

Five  members  of  the  Upper  House,  the  Council,  were  chosen 
as  follows :  "Pierre  Menard,  merchant,  from  Randolph  County ; 
William  Biggs,  farmer,  from  St.  Clair  County;  Samuel  Judy, 
farmer,  from  Madison  County ;  Thomas  Furgeson,  from  Johnson 
County;  and  Benjamin  Talbot,  from  Gallatin  County."  The 
members  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  were  as  fol- 
lows: From  Randolph  County,  Dr.  George  Fisher  was  chosen; 
Joshua  Oglesgy,  a  Methodist  minister,  and  Jacob  Short,  a 
farmer,  were  chosen  from  St.  Clair  County;  William  Jones,  a 
Baptist  minister,  was  selected  from  Madison  County;  Colonel 
Philip  Trammel,  a  Ranger,  and  Alexander  Wilson,  a  tavern- 
keeper,  were  chosen  from  Gallatin  County ;  and  John  Grammar, 
farmer,  from  Johnson  County.  At  this  same  election  Shadrach 
Bond  was  chosen  as  a  delegate  to  sit  in  Congress. 

The  newly  elected  Legislature  met  at  Kaskaskia,  November 


292  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

25th,  1812,  and  organized  for  legislative  work  by  choosing  Pierre 
Menard  as  presiding  officer  of  the  council,  and  John  Thomas 
as  secretary.  In  the  House  of  Representatives,  Dr.  George 
Fisher  was  elected  speaker,  and  William  C.  Greenup  was  elected 
clerk.  Governor  Reynolds  says  the  entire  Legislature  of  twelve 
men  all  boarded  at  the  same  house  and  slept  in  the  same  room. 

When  this  legislative  body  assembled,  the  governor  delivered 
his  message,  a  document  of  some  4,000  words.  The  chief  topic 
was  of  course  war.  He  incorporated  considerable  European  his- 
tory in  his  message,  and  gave  minute  details  of  military  opera- 
tions in  the  present  war.  He  characterized  the  Indians,  and 
concluded  that  the  final  necessity  would  be  the  conquest  of 
Canada.  He  paid  a  tribute  to  Colonel  Russell  of  the  Ranger 
regiment,  recommended  some  needed  laws,  and  ended  by  saying : 
"In  the  meantime  I  beg  leave  to  assure  you  of  my  readiness  to 
afford  you  every  facility  to  the  discharge  of  your  duties,  and  of 
my  sincere  desire  to  cooperate  cordially  with  you  in  all  measures 
calculated  to  promote  the  public  good."  The  Legislature  formu- 
lated a  short  reply  to  the  governor's  message,  in  which  they 
praised  him  for  his  wisdom  in  handling  the  problems  of  the  ter- 
ritory and  expressed  the  wish  that  "You  may  long  continue  to 
enjoy  the  confidence  of  your  country,  and  with  it  health  and 
happiness." 

Some  Early  Laws 

After  the  preliminaries  were  over  the  Legislature  took  up 
the  matter  of  providing  laws  for  the  territory.  A  bill  was  pre- 
sented providing  for  the  creation  of  courts  of  various  grades, 
and  also  an  act  to  provide  a  more  efficient  military  organization. 
Much  of  the  time  of  the  Legislature  was  taken  up  in  providing 
for  the  military  operations  in  which  the  territory  was  engaged. 
All  general  laws  in  operation  while  Illinois  was  a  part  of  Indiana 
Territory,  as  well  as  the  laws  which  were  in  force  in  Illinois 
while  it  was  a  first  class  territory,  were  adopted  for  Illinois  as  a 
territory  of  the  second  class.  Some  of  the  laws  will  be  of  in- 
terest at  this  time. 

Whipping  on  the  bare  back  for  felonies  and  misdemeanors  was 
a  common  form  of  punishment.  Confinement  in  the  stocks  or 
standing  in  the  pillory  was  often  the  punishment  for  minor 
offenses.  Branding  with  hot  irons  was  not  an  uncommon  method 
of  judicial  punishment.  Fines  and  loss  of  citizenship  were  com- 
mon. There  was  no  penitentiary,  and  jails  were  not  common. 
Imprisonments  were  often  made  in  private  homes  or  in  other 
private  rooms.  In  whipping,  as  a  form  of  punishment  for 
offenses,  it  was  customary  to  bare  the  back,  and  the  number 
of  lashes  ranged  from  ten  to  500,  according  to  the  seriousness 
of  the  offense.  In  the  case  of  fines  as  a  form  of  punishment,  if 
the  officers  were  unable  to  collect  the  amount  named  in  the  deci- 
sion of  the  court,  the  offender's  time  could  be  sold  and  he  was 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  293 

required  to  work  at  hard  labor  so  many  days  in  lieu  of  money 
payment.  In  treason  and  murder,  the  penalty  of  death  by  hang- 
ing was  named  as  the  punishment.  Hanging  was  the  punish- 
ment also  for  arson  and  rape. 

In  the  matter  of  the  collection  of  debts  the  principles  of  the  old 
common  law  were  applied.  The  creditor  was  usually  favored. 
All  the  property  of  the  debtor  was  subject  to  seizure  for  the 
satisfaction  of  debts.  There  were  no  exemptions  as  now.  There 
were  cases  in  which  the  person  of  the  creditor  could  be  seized 
and  cast  into  prison. 

One  of  the  problems  before  the  Legislature  was  the  question 
of  raising  money  for  the  support  of  the  Government.  There 
was  no  way  to  raise  a  revenue  except  by  some  form  of  taxation. 
This  would  include  tax  on  lands,  on  personal  property,  and  a  poll 
tax.  The  bottom  lands  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  and  the 
Wabash  were  taxed  at  the  rate  of  $1.00  per  100  acres.  The  up- 
lands were  not  considered  as  valuable  as  the  bottom  lands  and 
were  charged  75  cents  per  100  acres.  All  the  money  raised  by 
taxation  of  lands  went  to  the  support  of  the  territorial  Govern- 
ment, while  the  county  expenses  were  met  by  a  tax  on  personal 
property.  There  was  a  poll  tax  of  $1.00  per  head  on  men  owning 
$200  worth  of  taxable  property.  There  was  also  a  system  of 
licenses  collected  on  certain  occupations  and  businesses.  Stuve 
reports  the  amount  of  taxes  actually  collected  in  the  three  years 
1812,  1813,  1814,  as  being  $4,875.45.  The  amount  actually  paid 
to  the  proper  officers  to  be  expended  was  $2,516.89,  the  balance 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  delinquent  collectors — a  practice 
the  officials  still  find  convenient. 

Delegate  in  Congress 

The  revised  ordinance  provided  that  a  territory  of  the  second 
class  might  have  a  delegate  in  Congress  who  should  be  elected 
by  the  people.  At  the  time  of  the  election  of  the  members  of  the 
first  territorial  Legislature,  a  delegate  was  therefore  selected 
to  represent  the  new  territory  in  Congress.  The  choice  fell  on 
Mr.  Shadrach  Bond,  a  pioneer  of  the  Illinois  country.  Mr.  Bond 
was  a  Marylander,  born  November,  1773.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
received  only  a  limited  education.  He  emigrated  to  Illinois  as 
early  as  1794.  His  uncle,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  James  Moore, 
and  others  had  settled  near  the  present  city  of  Waterloo  and  in 
the  American  Bottoms  near,  as  early  as  1781.  To  this  settlement 
Shadrach  Bond,  Jr.,  came  from  his  Maryland  home.  He  took 
an  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Indiana  Territory  in  1807.  In  1809  he  was  an  aid  to 
the  governor  with  the  title  of  lieutenant  colonel  commanding. 
His  election  as  Illinois'  first  delegate  in  Congress  was  by  common 
consent.  He  was  well  liked  and  was  considered  a  man  of  supe- 
rior natural  attainments. 


294  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

This  position  of  delegate,  was  not,  in  those  days,  a  position 
that  most  men  would  take  any  great  trouble  to  secure.  It  was 
of  course  an  honor  to  be  chosen  as  the  delegate  from  any  terri- 
tory to  sit  in  Congress.  But  only  those  who  had  means  and 
leisure  could  afford  to  accept  such  positions.  It  was  a  journey 
from  Kaskaskia  to  Washington  of  many  days.  The  mode  of 
travel  was  usually  on  horseback.  The  pay  was  eight  dollars  a 
day  during  the  session  with  some  allowance  for  travel,  etc.  In 
1813  Washington  was  a  new  town  in  the  woods  on  the  Potomac, 
and  the  accommodations  were  of  course  very  meager.  It  is  said 
that  men  did  not  so  much  desire  the  office  of  delegate  to  Congress 
as  they  desired  the  opportunity  to  secure  appointments  to  better 
positions  in  the  Government  service.  At  least  Mr.  Bond  was 
appointed  to  a  receivership  in  the  land  office  at  Kaskaskia  before 
he  returned  from  Washington. 

Land  Titles 

Nothing  has  been  more  troublesome  for  those  in  authority, 
both  in  the  national  and  in  the  territorial  governments,  than  the 
confusing  and  overlapping  claims  to  lands  within  the  limits  of 
Illinois.  The  French,  between  the  years  1720  and  1763,  made 
many  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  land  grants  within  the  pre- 
ent  state.  Their  grants  were  made  along  the  Mississippi,  the 
Illinois,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Wabash  Rivers.  Some  of  their  grants 
are  found,  however,  scattered  somewhat  inland  from  these 
streams.  These  grants  were  usually  surveyed  and  platted,  and 
recorded,  but  in  many  cases  the  grants  were  difficult  to  locate. 
The  English  authorities  also  made  grants  in  nearly  all  the  dif- 
ferent states  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Many  of  these  were  not 
definitely  located,  except  in  the  mind  of  the  one  to  whom  the 
grants  were  made.  The  grantee  often  made  or  caused  to  be 
made  a  survey  of  his  grant.  This  was  before  the  rectangular 
system  of  surveys  was  known,  and  the  boundary  lines  followed 
streams  or  lines  running  from  one  natural  object  to  another.  In 
1778  Illinois  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  State  of  Virginia.  The 
State  of  Virginia  held  Illinois  from  1778  to  1784  when  she  ceded 
her  claims  to  western  lands  to  the  general  government.  During 
the  time  Virginia  held  Illinois  she  made  many  grants  to  her 
soldiers  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  Many  of  these  were  not 
definitely  located.  In  1788  the  Congress  made  a  ruling  that  the 
United  States  would  recognize  all  grants  of  land  made  by  those 
in  authority  previous  to  that  time.  The  United  States  under 
the  articles  and  afterwards  under  the  Constitution  made  grants 
in  this  western  country. 

As  early  as  the  coming  of  John  Todd  in  1779,  Virginia  en- 
deavored to  bring  about  the  establishment  of  the  records  of  the 
claims  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  French  villages  to  land  grants 


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296  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

under  the  French  government.  And  again  as  early  as  1790, 
the  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory  was  authorized  to  ad- 
just the  conflicting  land  claims  which  were  continually  arising 
in  the  regions  over  which  he  exercised  control.  This  duty  was 
imposed  upon  all  the  governors  of  the  Northwest  Territory  down 
to  1804.  In  that  year  the  President  was  authorized  to  appoint 
commissioners  of  the  land  office  who  should  sit  as  a  sort  of  court 
to  adjust  conflicting  claims  and  to  grant  titles  to  disputed  lands. 
These  commissioners  and  the  governors  of  the  territories  worked 
together  to  establish  valid  titles  to  the  lands.  It  is  claimed  that 
these  conflicting  claims  in  the  Northwest  Territory  greatly  re- 
tarded the  opening  of  the  land  offices  for  the  sale  of  the  public 
lands. 

Three  land  offices  were  established  in  1804 ;  one  at  Kaskaskia, 
one  at  Vincennes,  and  one  at  Detroit.  These  land  offices  seem 
not  to  have  been  established  for  the  sale  of  public  land  to  settlers, 
but  their  chief  work  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of  clearing  house 
in  which  the  validity  of  land  titles  should  be  determined.  These 
land  claims  were  very  difficult  in  many  cases  to  establish,  and 
the  sale  of  public  lands  to  actual  settlers  was  not  begun  till  in 
1814.  Each  land  office  was  in  charge  of  a  register  and  a  receiver 
of  public  moneys.  These  two  officials  were  the  land  commission- 
ers of  their  respective  districts.  All  persons  claiming  lands  by 
reason  of  any  grant  by  any  government  were  notified  to  appear 
before  the  commissioners  and  present  evidence  of  the  genuineness 
of  their  claims.  If  the  commissioners  found  that  any  claim  was 
based  on  insufficient  authority  the  claim  became  a  part  of  the 
national  domain  and  was  sold  at  auction. 

Preemption  Law 

As  early  as  1781  some  of  George  Rogers  Clark's  soldiers  came 
from  Kentucky,  the  Carolinas,  or  other  of  the  older  states  and 
"squatted"  on  the  public  lands  without  any  regard  to  the  owner- 
ship of  the  lands.  Often  these  settlers  would  make  improvements 
which  were  of  real  value  in  that  region.  In  1790  James  Piggott 
and  forty-five  other  settlers  living  between  Kaskaskia  and 
Cahokia  petitioned  the  Government  for  the  right  of  preemption. 
As  a  result  of  these  and  other  petitions,  Congress  in  1791  passed 
a  law  providing  that  each  American  head  of  a  family  should 
have  confirmed  to  him  400  acres  of  land  provided  he  had  settled 
upon  it  as  early  as  1783.  And,  if  having  once  settled  and  then 
moved  away,  upon  his  return  he  should  have  his  holding  con- 
firmed to  him.  This  law  was  intended  to  bring  back  those 
Americans  who,  because  of  dissatisfaction,  had  moved  across  the 
Mississippi  River. 

In  1796  a  small  number  of  residents  of  Kaskaskia  petitioned 
Congress  to  be  allowed  to  select  their  400  acres  in  the  prairie 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  297 

lands  east  of  the  Kaskaskia  River,  as  the  law  of  1791  required 
their  allotments  to  be  located  between  the  Kaskaskia  and  the 
Mississippi.  The  petition  was  not  granted.  Other  petitions 
asking  the  right  of  preemption  were  presented  but  Congress 
seemed  to  be  averse  to  complying  with  these  requests.  Up  to 
1800  the  smallest  tract  of  land  which  the  government  offered  for 
sale  in  the  Northwest  Territory  was  4,000  acres. 

In  1799  William  Henry  Harrison  was  elected  a  delegate  to 
Congress  from  the  Northwest  Territory.  "His  first  attention 
was  imperiously  called  to  the  subject  of  the  public  lands."  At 
that  time  emigration  into  the  Northwest  Territory  was  rapidly 
increasing,  but  it  was  still  hindered  by  the  fact  that  poor  people 
could  not  buy  land  and  the  public  knew  that  Congress  was  not 
well  disposed  toward  the  principle  of  preemption.  Mr.  Harrison 
secured  recognition  at  once  as  a  man  of  marked  ability  and  as 
one  who  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  needs  of  the  people  in 
the  Northwest  Territory.  He  championed  the  cause  of  the  poor 
people  by  securing  a  law  which  reduced  the  minimum  amount  of 
public  lands  to  be  bought  at  one-half  section — 240  acres.  An- 
other master  stroke  was  a  law  which  placed  the  price  at  $2.00 
per  acre  with  the  privilege  of  paying  one-fourth  down.  The 
balance  was  payable  in  future  installments.  We  have  already 
called  attention  to  the  qualifications  of  the  voters  who  partici- 
pated in  the  election  of  1812  when  Illinois  Territory  passed  from 
a  first  class  to  a  second  class  territory.  Those  only  could  vote 
who  owned  50  acres  of  land,  and  it  will  be  remembered  that  only 
about  400  voted  out  of  a  population  of  12,000.  There  should  be 
2,500  voters  in  a  population  of  12,000 ;  so  there  must  have  been 
nearly  2,000  men — heads  of  families — who  were  "squatters"  in 
Illinois  Territory  in  1812. 

Hundreds  of  settlers  had  been  induced  to  come  to  Illinois 
Territory  from  1804  to  1812  by  the  fact  that  the  general  Gov- 
ernment had  established  two  land  offices  in  Illinois  Territory  in 
1804 — one  at  Shawneetown  and  one  at  Kaskaskia.  From  this 
action  of  the  general  government  the  conclusion  was  easily 
drawn  that  the  unsold  lands  would  soon  be  put  on  the  market. 
But  in  1812  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Legislature  no  land  had 
yet  been  put  on  the  market.  All  these  settlers,  known  as  "squat- 
ters," who  had  settled  prior  to  1813,  were  in  danger  of  having 
their  lands  taken  from  them.  Many  had  been  bold  enough  to 
make  improvements — dig  wells,  clear  lands,  build  houses,  fence 
fields,  plant  orchards — many  of  them,  in  the  nature  of  things,  of 
common  interest  in  the  neighborhood  such  as  roads,  bridges, 
churches,  burying  grounds,  and  now  and  then  a  schoolhouse. 
Without  a  preemption  law — after  the  lands  were  placed  on  the 
market — any  one  might  go  to  the  land  office  and  buy  a  well  im- 
proved quarter  section  or  a  half  section  for  which  he  would 
receive  a  deed  or  patent  signed  by  the  President  of  the  United 


298  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

States.  The  man  who  had  made  the  improvements  was  helpless 
before  the  law  to  protect  the  fruit  of  many  years  of  hard  labor, 
and  unless  the  purchaser  was  willing  to  concede  something  to 
the  "squatter"  who  had  made  all  these  improvements  he  must 
lose  all.  These  conditions  and  practices  were  intolerable  and  it 
is  indeed  strange  that  anyone  should  come  to  Illinois  Territory 
and  make  improvements  on  Government  land,  when  he  ran  the 
risk  of  losing  it  all. 

Shadrach  Bond 

Shadrach  Bond,  Jr.,  was  a  man  of  the  common  people.  He 
was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  ambitions  and  their  vir- 
tues. He  was  intelligent,  practical,  honest.  Reynolds  says: 
"He  was  educated  in  the  wide  world  of  the  human  family,  and 
his  conscience  and  sound  judgment  were  his  unerring  precep- 
tors." He  was  by  profession  a  farmer,  a  real  "dirt  farmer." 
In  his  early  life  he  was  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
which  met  at  Vincennes.  Here  he  won  great  praise  from  the 
people  for  his  faithful  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  office.  In 
1812  when  the  Territory  of  Illinois  was  to  choose  a  delegate  to 
sit  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  Shadrach  Bond  was 
the  choice  of  the  people. 

"During  his  term  as  a  delegate  in  Congress,  he  secured  the 
enactment  of  the  first  pre-emption  law  ever  put  upon  the  statute 
books  in  the  United  States.  This  law  will  be  better  appreciated 
when  we  understand  the  practices  of  frontier  life. 

The  wave  of  immigration  often  traveled  westward  faster 
than  the  surveys  did.  In  such  cases  the  settler  never  knew 
just  where  his  land  would  fall  when  the  region  was  platted  by 
the  surveyor.  And  again,  after  the  surveyor  had  done  his  work 
it  often  happened  that  the  surveyed  land  was  not  placed  on  the 
market  for  a  number  of  years.  The  settler  usually  selected  his 
lands  and  made  improvements  with  the  expectation  that  he 
would  buy  the  land  when  it  came  on  the  market.  Unprincipled 
men  would  watch  and  would  often  step  in  ahead  of  the  settler 
at  the  land  office  and  buy  the  improved  land  at  Government 
prices.     This  often  resulted  in  violence  and  bloodshed." 

Bond's  pre-emption  law  recognized  the  equity  which  the  set- 
tler had  in  the  land  over  and  above  the  government  price  of  the 
land.  If  the  settler  selected  a  certain  quarter  section  and  made 
improvements  thereon  he  had  the  first  chance  to  buy  that  quar- 
ter section  when  it  was  placed  on  the  market.  If  the  settler  did 
not  wish  to  buy  the  land  and  another  wished  to  buy  it,  the 
settler  still  had  an  equity  in  the  improvements. 

Increased  Immigration 

At  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  there  was  a  rapid  increase  in 
the  population  of  the  Illinois  Territory.  The  population  of 
Illinois  in  1810  was  12,282;  while  in  1820  it  was  55,162,  an 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  299 

increase  of  42,880  or  an  increase  of  450  per  cent.  This  was  an 
increase  of  4,288  for  each  of  the  ten  years.  But  we  must  re- 
member that  from  1810  to  1815  there  was  slight  increase  on 
account  of  the  war.  Probably  more  than  80  per  cent  of  this 
increase  came  between  1815  and  1820. 

The  forces  of  nature  seldom  work  alone,  and  there  is  no  ex- 
planation of  this  increase  in  population  that  can  be  stated  in 
terms  of  a  single  cause.  But  just  as  we  find  a  combination  of 
forces  operating  in  the  physical  world  to  bring  about  certain 
ends,  so  in  the  historical  world  there  is  often  a  union  of  forces 
working  harmoniously  together  to  bring  about  certain  desirable 
ends.  There  were  at  least  five  influences  at  work  which  won- 
derfully increased  the  population  from  1815  to  1820  perhaps 
to  a  later  date. 

First,  there  were  the  conditions  of  peace  and  security  which 
always  prevail  following  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  From  1810 
to  1815  there  was  being  carried  on  a  most  distinctive  form  of 
warfare.  Neither  life  nor  property  was  secure  anywhere  within 
the-  limits  of  the  territory.  This  condition  which  was  the  lot 
of  those  who  lived  in  Illinois  Territory  at  this  time  was  known 
throughout  the  older  settled  portions  of  the  United  States.  There 
was  no  desire  along  the  seaboard  to  leave  a  quiet,  peaceful  life 
to  come  into  a  new  and  war-ridden  section  such  as  prevailed  in 
the  Illinois  Territory.  And  while  there  were  sections  of  the 
older  parts  of  the  United  States  where  the  same  unsettled  con- 
ditions prevailed  as  was  found  in  the  Illinois  Territory,  there 
was  no  disposition  in  those  older  sections  to  "jump  out  of  the 
frying  pan  into  the  fire."  But  when  the  war  closed  and  people 
were  free  to  give  way  to  the  spirit  of  adventure,  there  was 
a  steady  movement  toward  the  new  west. 

A  second  explanation  of  the  rapid  migration  to  the  west  is 
to  be  found  in  the  improved  and  increased  means  of  travel  which 
the  people  found  in  1815.  The  early  emigrants  from  the  older 
settled  portions  of  the  country  to  the  west  found  distressing  con- 
ditions, whether  they  came  most  of  the  way  by  water  or  by  land. 
If  they  came  by  way  of  the  Ohio  from  Pittsburg  in  an  early  day, 
the  journey  must  be  made  in  rudely  constructed  flat  boats  which 
furnished  little  shelter  for  people — men,  women,  and  children. 
By  1815-20  the  steam  boat  was  a  familiar  object  on  the  Ohio — 
the  first  one  coming  down  that  stream  in  1811.  The  overland 
journey  was  much  improved  by  1815.  Roads  were  definitely 
marked  out,  bridges  had  been  built,  ferries  established  along  the 
streams,  taverns  were  built  along  the  main  lines  of  travel,  and 
villages  were  beginning  to  appear.  Taking  into  consideration 
all  the  phases  of  traveling  into  a  new  country  the  conditions  were 
greatly  improved. 

The  third  thing  to  be  considered  was  the  policy  of  organizing 
new  counties  in  the  Illinois  Territory.    The  first  county  organized 


300  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

was  St.  Clair  in  1790.  In  1795  the  south  half  of  St.  Clair  was 
organized  into  Randolph  County.  When  the  vote  was  to  be  taken 
on  whether  the  Illinois  Territory  would  pass  from  a  first  class 
to  a  second  class,  the  governor  created  three  new  counties — Madi- 
son, Gallatin,  and  Johnson.  In  1814,  Nov.  28,  Edwards  County 
was  created,  and  on  December  9th,  1815,  White  County  was  laid 
off  and  organized.  Monroe  was  created  January  6,  1816;  Jack- 
son County,  January  10th;  Pope  County,  January  10th;  Craw- 
ford County,  December  31,  1816;  Bond  County,  January  4,  1817; 
Franklin,  Union,  Washington,  January  2,  1818.  These  were  the 
fifteen  counties  which  constituted  the  state  when  it  was  admitted 
into  the  Union  in  1818.  The  county  seat  town,  in  the  American 
state,  is  usually  the  largest  and  wealthiest  town  in  the  county. 
It  is  usually  located  in  the  central  part  of  the  county  and  soon 
becomes  the  center  of  political,  social,  and  financial  interests.  It 
turned  out  that  the  creation  of  thirteen  new  counties  and  the 
location  of  their  capitals  between  1812  and  the  early  part  of 
1818  gave  great  encouragement  to  the  ambitious  and  aggressive 
emigrants  moving  out  of  the  "old  thirteen"  into  the  newer  west. 
Some  of  these  counties  were  organized  with  no  more  than  a 
hundred  or  so  of  inhabitants.  The  county  seat  was  often  located 
in  some  residence  till  the  commissioners  should  determine  where 
it  should  be  located  permanently.  It  was  desirable  on  the  part 
of  the  early  settlers  to  get  into  a  new  county  and  take  part  in 
the  organization.  There  were  offices  to  be  filled  and  policies  to 
be  initiated  and  these  activities  were  alluring  to  the  pioneers. 

There  was  a  fourth  condition  which  tended  greatly  to  the  at- 
tractiveness of  Illinois  just  after  the  War  of  1812.  That  was 
the  safety  of  life  and  property  which  was  guaranteed  in  the 
treaties  which  the  government  made  with  the  Indians  after  the 
war.  The  Indians  were  allied  with  the  British  in  the  war,  and 
suffered  many  defeats  while  the  conflict  was  on.  They  were 
driven  from  their  villages,  and  their  homes  were  destroyed.  The 
British  made  no  special  effort  to  safeguard  the  Indians'  posses- 
sions, and  there  was  a  feeling  that  the  Indian  had  been  abandoned 
by  his  former  ally.  At  least  the  Indians  had  learned  that  they 
were  losing  from  year  to  year  in  pursuing  their  former  policies. 
Treaties  were  therefore  made  between  1816  and  1820  in  which 
the  Indians  of  the  Illinois  Country  agreed  to  cede  all  their  lands 
east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  to  move  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River  just  as  soon  as  the  whites  should  need  the  lands  in  Illinois 
for  actual  settlement.  It  was  felt  everywhere  that  there  was  a 
new  and  more  hopeful  outlook  as  to  the  problem  of  handling  the 
Indians  after  the  War  of  1812.  This  feeling  was  shared  by  the 
people  of  the  older  states  and  the  sentiment  worked  greatly  to 
the  advantage  of  an  increased  emigration  into  the  Illinois  Terri- 
tory. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  301 

And  lastly,  nothing  gave  a  more  certain  assurance  of  perma- 
nency in  the  settling  of  the  new  lands  in  Illinois  than  the  pre- 
emption law  which  had  been  referred  to.  This  law  gave  the 
squatter  a  stake  in  the  land  he  occupied.  He  could  make  im- 
provements with  the  full  assurance  that  all  the  labor  he  ex- 
pended upon  houses,  barns,  fences,  orchards,  cleared  lands,  etc., 
was  so  much  capital  invested  which  could  not  be  taken  from  him 
without  his  consent.  If  he  desired  to  hold  his  quarter  section 
when  it  came  on  the  market  he  must  be  ready  to  pay  the  gov- 
ernment price.  But  in  any  avent  the  land-claim-jumper  could 
not  get  something  for  nothing. 

These  five  conditions  favored  the  rapid  settling  of  the  west  and 
they  are  the  explanation  of  the  growth  in  population  between 
1812  and  1818. 

Civil  Administration 

The  passing  of  Illinois  Territory  from  the  first  stage  to  the 
second  stage  was  without  doubt  an  important  event  in  the  civil 
affairs  of  the  territory.  In  the  early  days  of  the  territory  there 
was  not  a  great  amount  of  interest  in  the  civil  government.  The 
people  were  governed  but  they  did  not  govern.  There  were  two 
fairly  good  reasons  why  the  people  were  passive  in  the  matter 
of  government.  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  large  part  of  the 
people  in  Illinois  Territory  were  of  French  descent.  The  French 
were  never  a  self-governing  people.  They  were  a  passive  people, 
at  least  in  questions  relating  to  government.  They  had  no  popu- 
lar meetings  for  the  expression  of  public  opinion,  they  held  few 
offices,  and  these  only  where  routine  was  required.  There  was 
another  element  in  the  population  which  had  come  into  the  terri- 
tory from  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  the  two  Carolinas,  and 
Georgia.  They  of  course  were  English,  and  had  always  lived 
under  English  institutions,  but  they  too  were  of  a  passive  nature. 
The  form  of  local  government  in  the  "old  thirteen"  was  entirely 
different  in  the  southern  colonies  from  what  it  was  in  the  north- 
ern colonies.  They  never  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  holding  demo- 
cratic gatherings  for  the  determination  of  public  questions.  The 
county  officers  were  cared  for  by  the  county  commissioners,  while 
the  local  affairs  were  largely  under  the  control  of  the  vestry  of 
the  Episcopal  churches.  No  school  directors  levied  taxes  in  the 
old  slave  states,  no  town  meeting  determined  the  rate  of  taxation 
for  the  raising  of  the  poor  fund,  nor  were  the  few  local  officials 
elected  at  popular  elections.  The  appointing  power  lay  with  the 
governor  or  with  the  "county  courts." 

The  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  government  for  territories 
of  the  first  class  are  therefore  easily  explained  when  we  remem- 
ber that  fewer  than  a  score  of  members  sat  in  the  Continental 
Congress  when  the  ordinance  was  made  and  that  a  large  majority 
of  these  were  from  the  southern  states  where  self-governing 


302  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

democracies  were  not  well  understood.  From  1809  when  Illinois 
became  a  territory  of  the  first  class  till  1812  when  less  than  20% 
of  the  men  over  21  years  of  age  voted  on  the  question  of  passing 
into  a  second  class  territory,  there  was  little  participation  in 
the  affairs  of  government  by  the  people. 

But  by  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  there  had  come  into  the 
Illinois  Territory  quite  a  few  people  from  the  northern  states. 
These  had  had  experiences  in  the  matter  of  government  and 
would  in  the  future  exert  in  a  quiet  way  influences  which  would 
bring  about  some  changes  in  the  civil  government  in  Illinois  as 
a  territory  of  the  second  class. 

The  governor  and  judges  had  in  1809  passed  a  law  prohibiting 
any  one  from  holding  two  offices  at  the  same  time.  The  legisla- 
ture, in  December,  1814,  passed  three  whereases  which  condemn 
the  law  of  1809.    The  legislature  went  on  record  as  follows : 

"Whereas,  The  free  people  of  this  territory  are  as  competent 
as  their  public  servants  to  decide  on  whom  it  is  their  interest 
to  elect  to  represent  them  in  the  general  assembly;  and  are 
too  enlightened  and  independent  to  recognize  the  odious  and  aris- 
tocratical  doctrine  that  they  (the  people)  are  their  own  worst 
enemies,  or  to  admit  it  is  the  duty  of  their  representatives  to 
save  them  from  themselves ; 

"Whereas,  This  legislature,  being  composed  of  the  servants, 
not  the  masters  of  the  people,  cannot  without  an  arbitrary  as- 
sumption of  power,  impose  restrictions  upon  the  latter  as  to  the 
choice  of  their  representatives  which  are  not  warranted  by  the 
express  words  or  necessary  implications  of  the  ordinance  from 
which  the  legislature  derives  its  powers;  and 

"Whereas,  The  duties  of  the  judges  of  the  county  court  estab- 
lished by  law  are  such  as  have  heretofore  been  performed  in  the 
territory  by  the  justices  of  the  peace,  by  whom  they  are  also 
usually  performed  in  many  of  the  states,  and  there  being  nothing 
in  the  ordinance,  nor  any  reason  to  exclude  from  a  seat  in  the 
legislature  those  judges  of  the  county,  or  surveyors,  or  prosecut- 
ing attorneys,  that  do  not  apply  with  equal  force  to  military 
officers  and  justices  of  the  peace,  and  the  duties  of  the  former 
being  no  more  incompatible  with  a  seat  in  the  legislature  than 
those  of  the  latter,  therefore" 

"Be  it  resolved,  that  laws  inconsistent  with  the  above  senti- 
ments be  abolished." 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  for  the  appointment  of  three 
judges  who  should  reside  in  the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio 
River,  and  have  common  law  jurisdiction.  The  governor  who 
should  be  appointed  by  the  Congress  should  appoint  such  magis- 
trates in  each  county  or  township  as  he  might  deem  "necessary 
for  the  preservation  of  the  peace  and  good  order  in  the  same." 
But  after  the  territory  should  pass  into  the  second  grade,  the 
legislature  shall  have  power  to  organize  and  regulate  the  local 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  303 

government  in  the  several  counties.  In  pursuance  of  the  author- 
ity conferred  upon  the  governor  while  the  territory  was  in  the 
first  class,  the  governor  appointed  a  certain  number  of  justices 
of  the  peace  in  each  county.  These  justices  constituted  a  court 
of  common  pleas  in  each  county,  and  quarter  sessions  were  held. 
The  three  judges  appointed  by  Congress  constituted  a  sort  of 
Supreme  Court  to  which  cases  came  from  the  Common  Pleas 
courts.  This  was  the  simple  arrangement  from  1809  to  1812 
when  the  territory  became  second  class. 

In  1814  the  Legislature  by  reason  of  the  authority  conferred 
upon  it  in  the  ordinance,  reorganized  the  judicial  system  of  the 
territory.  In  a  bill  entitled:  "An  act  to  establish  a  Supreme 
Court  for  Illinois  Territory,"  the  general  court  was  abolished 
and  the  three  judges  appointed  by  Congress  were  made  judges 
of  circuit  courts,  and  at  the  same  time  constituted  the  "Supreme 
Court."  As  circuit  judges,  the  judges  each  had  a  circuit  of  two 
counties  in  which  he  was  to  hold  two  sessions  in  each  county 
each  year.  Then  once  a  year  the  three  judges  should  hold  a 
session  at  the  seat  of  government  where  they  were  to  hear  ap- 
peals from  the  circuit  courts. 

The  three  judges  opposed  the  law  for  they  were  not  willing 
to  do  this  "circuit"  work.  Again  they  argued  that  a  mere  Legis- 
lature could  not  regulate  or  direct  judges  holding  their  appoint- 
ments from  the  President.  They  also  objected  to  the  principle 
that  the  court  should  sit  in  banc  to  hear  cases  on  appeal  from 
one  of  their  own  number.  The  governor  was  in  favor  of  the 
bill,  but  the  judges  were  asked  to  give  their  decision  on  the 
case  in  hand  and  their  decision  was  against  the  plan.  The  whole 
matter  was  referred  to  Congress  and  that  body  endorsed  the 
bill  as  passed,  but  the  judges  were  very  much  dissatisfied.  The 
territory  soon  became  a  state  and  the  whole  system  was  set  aside 
by  the  Constitution  of  1818. 

Banks 

There  was  little  money  in  circulation  in  the  Illinois  Terri- 
tory. The  French  had  lived  the  simple  life,  and  when  the  Ameri- 
cans came  into  the  Illinois  Country  they  too  were  accustomed 
to  the  barter  system.  But  when  population  increased  and  the 
towns  began  to  grow  there  was  more  and  more  need  of  a  cir- 
culating medium.  The  old  United  States  bank  established  in 
1791  furnished  a  paper  issue  which  circulated  on  par  with  gold 
and  silver — at  least  most  of  the  time.  But  the  charter  to  this 
bank  expired  in  1811,  and  heroic  efforts  to  recharter  it  failed. 
Its  business  was  wound  up  and  its  issue  disappeared  from  cir- 
culation. From  1811  to  1816  the  issue  of  paper  money  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  hundreds  of  irresponsible  banks  which  operated 
under  state  charters  or  which  were  purely  private  concerns  and 


304 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


were  subject  to  slight  oversight.  The  paper  money  of  this  period 
was  never  up  to  par  with  gold  and  silver  and  there  was  a  limited 
amount  of  coin  in  circulation.  The  War  of  1812  brought  some 
coin  and  the  emigrant  brought  some,  but  there  was  not  enough 
coin  to  meet  the  needs  of  legitimate  trade.  Immediately  after 
the  war  there  was  a  revival  of  industrial  activities.  Governor 
Reynolds  says  there  was  a  considerable  amount  of  exporting  of 
hogs,  cattle,  horses,  wheat  and  other  farm  products.  Much  of 
the  live  stock  could  be  raised  upon  the  "range"  without  cost  to 
the  owner.  It  was  therefore  a  profitable  business  to  the  farmer. 
These  products  of  the  farm  were  marketed  in  Cincinnati  and 
Pittsburg  or  sent  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  River  to 
New  Orleans.    Steamboats  were  in  common  use  on  the  Ohio  and 


JOHN  MARSHALL'S  RESIDENCE  IN  SHAWNEETOWN 
The  building  in  which  the  first  bank  in  the  State  was  housed,  1813 


on  the  lower  Mississippi,  and  by  1818  steamboats  were  plying 
the  upper  courses  of  the  Mississippi. 

While  Illinois  could  sell  her  agricultural  products  in  New  Or- 
leans, since  that  was  a  market  for  products  destined  for  Euro- 
pean consumption,  she  was  unable  to  buy  her  supplies  for  the 
farm,  the  home,  the  shop,  and  the  "infant  manufactories"  in 
that  city.  Many  of  her  necessaries  and  most  of  her  luxuries 
must  come  from  the  Atlantic  Coast.  While  the  means  of  trans- 
porting goods  purchased  in  Philadelphia  and  other  eastern  cities, 
to  the  towns  on  the  Ohio  and  along  the  Mississippi,  were  inade- 
quate to  the  demands  of  the  western  farmers  and  business  men, 
the  means  of  making  payment  in  the  eastern  cities  for  such 
goods  were  indeed  crude  and  unbusinesslike.     It  has  been  told 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  305 

of  John  Marshall,  the  first  banker  in  Illinois  that  he  carried  his 
money  from  Shawneetown  to  Philadelphia  in  an  old  fashioned 
"carpet-bag"  with  which  he  paid  for  consignments  of  goods  sent 
to  the  merchants  of  Shawneetown.  The  good  money  which  the 
settlers  brought  with  them  and  that  left  over  from  the  war  was 
soon  spent,  in  payments  for  lands  and  only  the  cheapest  kinds 
of  private  and  state  bank  issue  were  left  for  other  business 
transactions.  What  was  needed  was  some  system  of  exchange 
which  would  permit  a  merchant  to  pay  a  debt  in  Philadelphia  by 
depositing  the  cash  in  a  bank  in  his  own  town  and  sending  the 
exchange  by  mail  to  his  wholesale  house  in  the  eastern  city. 

But  there  were  no  banks  in  Illinois  prior  to  1816.  There  was 
however  a  business  enterprise  in  Shawneetown  which  served 
the  purpose  of  a  bank.  John  Marshall,  a  successful  merchant, 
came  to  Shawneetown  in  1804,  and  resided  there  the  rest  of 
his  life.  He  was  a  very  active  citizen  and  was  of  great  worth 
to  the  village  in  which  he  lived.  He  built  a  two  story  brick 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  toward  the  south  edge  of  the  town.  In 
one  room  of  the  lower  floor  he  took  deposits  of  people,  and  kept 
a  sort  of  bank.  He  loaned  money  and  may  have  bought  and 
sold  exchange.  It  is  told  that  he  kept  the  money  in  a  sort  of 
vault  under  the  floor  of  the  room  and  that  access  to  it  was  through 
a  trap  door  which  was  covered  by  a  carpet.  The  old  building 
still  stands.  When  the  levee  was  constructed,  it  was  located 
just  in  front  of  his  house  with  barely  a  passage  way  between 
the  levee  and  the  front  door.  A  porch  was  afterwards  con- 
structed which  enabled  people  to  walk  out  of  the  upper  rooms 
and  on  to  the  levee.  The  old  brick  building  may  be  seen  a  few 
doors  down  the  river  from  the  "Grand  View"  hotel.  But  this 
institution  which  we  call  John  Marshall's  bank  was  in  no  real 
sense  a  bank.  It  was  a  place  where  one  could  leave  his  money 
for  safe  keeping,  or  where  he  might  borrow  a  sum  with  proper 
security. 

The  first  bank  in  Illinois  Territory  was  chartered  by  the  terri- 
torial legislature  December  28,  1816.  It  was  called  The  Bank 
of  Illinois.  It  had  a  capital  of  $300,000,  one-third  of  which  was 
reserved  for  the  territory,  or  the  state  when  the  territory  should 
become  a  state.  The  charter  was  to  run  from  January  1,  1817, 
to  January  1,  1837.  There  were  to  be  twelve  directors  to  be 
chosen  annually.  It  was  provided  in  the  charter,  that  if  the 
bank  should  at  any  time  refuse  to  redeem  any  of  its  bills,  the 
holder  might  collect  twelve  per  cent,  interest  per  annum  from 
the  time  he  made  the  demand  for  redemption.  It  was  located 
in  Shawneetown.  Among  its  early  officers  were  John  Marshall, 
Leonard  White,  Samuel  Caldwell,  John  Caldwell,  John  McLean 
and  Michael  Jones.  John  Marshall  was  its  first  president,  and 
John  Siddall  was  its  first  cashier.  The  history  of  this  bank  is 
an  interesting  part  of  the  banking  business  of  Illinois. 


306  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

An  interesting  letter  may  be  found  in  the  Edwards  Papers, 
edited  by  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  from  John  Marshall  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Shawneetown  Bank,  concerning  the  treatment  of  his 
bank  by  the  Kaskaskia  Bank  and  the  banks  in  Missouri  and  the 
bank  at  Edwardsville.  The  letter  dated  May  25,  1819,  is  directed 
to  Ninian  Edwards  who  at  that  time  was  United  States  senator 
from  the  young  State  of  Illinois.  A  few  extracts  will  give  some 
notion  of  Mr.  Marshall's  complaints  against  his  rivals.  "I  have 
some  knowledge  of  the  low  plodding  and  cunning  of  certain  char- 
acters at  Kaskaskia. — The  course  the  receiver  (of  public  money) 
at  Kaskaskia  has  lately  pursued  towards  our  bank,  one  day  tak- 
ing our  notes  and  the  next  day  refusing  them,  thus  vexing  the 
holders  and  thereby  trying  to  impair  the  credit  of  our  bank, 
shows  their  hostility  towards  us  as  well  as  yourself.  The  Bank 
of  Missouri,  acting  in  the  same  way,  or  rather  worse ;  whenever 
she  thinks  proper  to  take  our  notes  it  is  with  a  view  alone  of 
making  a  run  for  specie;  as  proof  of  this  I  need  only  mention, 
that  she  has  lately  paid  us  a  visit  and  carried  off  $12,000  of 
our  specie — I  can  assure  you  the  directors  of  this  bank,  so  far 
as  have  come  to  my  knowledge,  are  disposed  to  be  on  the  most 
friendly  terms  with  the  Bank  of  Edwardsville ;  they  had  ordered 
the  cashier  to  receive  your  notes,  but  various  reports  reaching 
us  of  the  most  unfavorable  nature,  the  directors  thought  proper 
to  rescind  that  order  until  they  could  be  informed  of  the  true 
situation  of  your  bank." 

It  appears  that  Senator  Edwards  was  one  of  the  main  men 
in  the  bank  at  Edwardsville,  and  further  that  the  Bank  of  Mis- 
souri, in  which  the  money  for  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  in 
Illinois  was  deposited,  was  making  efforts  to  break  down  the 
bank  at  Edwardsville  and  at  Shawneetown.  And  it  was  probably 
true  that  the  bank  at  Kaskaskia  was  playing  into  the  schemes  of 
the  Bank  of  Missouri. 

The  Bank  of  Illinois  located  at  Shawneetown,  was  incorporated 
on  December,  1816.  At  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature  the 
bank  of  Edwardsville  and  another  at  Kaskaskia  were  chartered. 
These,  like  the  Shawneetown  Bank,  were  banks  of  issue.  The 
Legislature  by  a  clause  in  the  law  virtually  forced  creditors  to 
accept  the  issue  of  these  banks  in  payment  of  debts,  since  the 
law  provided  that  if  upon  the  creditor's  securing  judgment 
against  a  debtor,  if  the  creditor  would  not  accept  the  issue  of 
the  Illinois  banks  the  actual  collection  of  the  debt  was  postponed. 
Both  the  bank  at  Edwardsville  and  the  one  at  Shawneetown 
became  banks  of  deposit  for  the  funds  arising  from  the  sale  of 
public  lands  in  1818.  The  bank  at  Edwardsville  seems  to  have 
been  unfortunate  since  it  was  accused  of  not  paying  over  to  the 
United  States  the  receipts  for  the  sale  of  public  lands.  Its  stock 
was  held  as  follows:  $214,250  in  Kentucky;  $18,000  in  St.  Louis: 
$66,750  in  Illinois.    In  1821  the  bank  failed  and  the  government 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  307 

secured  judgment  against  it  for  $45,000  which  was  never  col- 
lected. 

Cairo 

The  point  of  land  between  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  at  their 
junction  attracted  public  notice  at  a  very  early  date.  As  early 
as  July  26  and  28,  1817,  John  G.  Comegys  of  Baltimore  pur- 
chased at  the  land  office  in  Kaskaskia,  Michael  Jones  register, 
and  Warren  Brown  receiver,  all  or  nearly  all  the  land  between 
the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  amounting  to  about  eighteen 
hundred  acres.  At  that  time  the  price  of  land  was  $2.00  per 
acre,  one-fourth  of  which  could  be  paid  in  cash  and  the  balance 
in  installments.  Comegys  paid  the  first  and  second  installments, 
and  after  his  death  the  third  payment  was  made.  The  fourth 
payment  was  never  made  and  in  1835  the  lands  were  resold  and 
the  purchase  money  reverted  to  the  government. 

In  1818,  January  9,  the  Legislature  passed  "The  Act  to  Incor- 
porate the  City  and  Bank  of  Cairo."  The  incorporators  were 
John  G.  Comegys,  Thomas  H.  Harris,  Thomas  T.  Herbert,  Charles 
Slade,  Shadrach  Bond,  Michael  Jones,  Warren  Brown,  Edward 
Humphreys,  and  Charles  W.  Hunter.  Comegys  was  from  Balti- 
more, Md. ;  Bond,  Jones,  Brown  and  Humphreys  lived  at  Kas- 
kaskia; Hunter  lived  in  St.  Louis;  Harris,  Herbert,  and  Slade 
lived  in  Virginia.  John  G.  Comegys  was  a  rich  merchant  who 
did  business  in  Baltimore  and  St.  Louis.  It  was  the  plan  of 
these  incorporators  to  lay  off  the  tract  of  land  which  Comegys 
had  bought  and  to  begin  a  city  at  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers. 
It  was  the  plan  to  sell  the  lots  at  $150 ;  put  $100  into  the  bank 
capital  and  use  $50  of  each  lot  to  construct  a  system  of  levees 
around  the  future  city.  A  plat  was  drawn  in  Baltimore.  The 
streets  ran  east  and  west  and  north  and  south.  There  were  290 
blocks  with  twenty  lots  to  a  block,  making  5,800  lots.  These 
if  sold  at  $150  per  lot  would  produce  $870,000.  John  G.  Comegys 
died  in  the  spring  of  1818,  and  the  attempt  to  found  the  City 
of  Cairo  was  deferred  many  years.  But  the  Bank  of  Cairo 
was  opened  in  Kaskaskia  in  1818  or  1819.  The  bank  never 
flourished,  though  it  issued  bills  and  did  a  general  banking  busi- 
ness it  never  was  a  strong  financial  institution.  It  is  said  of  the 
Shawneetown  Bank  that  it  always  redeemed  its  own  issue,  while 
other  banks  were  obliged  at  time  to  suspend  specie  payment. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

LOOKING  FORWARD  TO  STATEHOOD 

Abstract  of  Title — Territorial  Government — Comparisons 
— Make-up  of  Congress — Government  Aristocratic — 
Right  of  Suffrage  Modified — Factions — Editor  Cook — 
Propaganda 

We  have  now  about  completed  the  study  of  the  redemption  of 
Illinois  from  a  wilderness  of  forests  and  of  prairies,  and  from 
the  blight  of  Indian  occupation.  Possession  is  not  ownership, 
but  among  the  pioneers  of  our  country  it  was  nine  points  of  law. 
It  is  desirable  to  trace  the  chain  of  possession  from  the  earliest 
period  to  the  date  when  Illinois  knocked  at  the  door  of  national 
Union  for  membership.  When  Illinois  applied  for  admission 
into  the  Union  as  a  state,  we  did  not  present  the  territorial  area 
which  we  know  as  Illinois  to  the  Union  and  ask  its  acceptance, 
since  it  may  be  shown  that  the  United  States  at  that  time  not 
only  had  possession  but  held  ownership  as  well.  It  is  to  show 
this  possession  and  ownership  that  we  shall  give  a  brief  sur- 
vey of  the  prior  occupants  and  owners.  If  we  can  show  that 
the  several  possessors  and  owners  made  transfers  of  Illinois  in 
such  forms  as  is  recognized  by  the  powers  immediately  con- 
cerned, as  well  as  by  the  peoples  remotely  concerned,  then  we 
shall  be  able  to  establish  the  ownership  of  Illinois  by  the  United 
States  in  1818. 

Abstract  of  Title 

Whatever  one  may  think  as  to  the  competency  of  the  Indian 
tribes  to  own  the  soil,  he  can  have  no  question  as  to  the  fact 
that  they  occupied  the  land  when  it  was  first  known  by  white 
men.  And  there  are  abundant  evidences  of  the  fact  that  the  land 
had  been  occupied  for  many  centuries  prior  to  the  coming  of  the 
first  white  men.  Just  how  long  the  same  tribes,  which  were 
found  within  the  limits  of  the  present  state  of  Illinois  at  the 
coming  of  the  whites,  had  been  residing  here  is  difficult  to  de- 
termine. Let  us  suppose  that  they  had  possessed  the  land  for 
many  decades — at  least  long  enough  to  give  them  nine  points  in 
law.  For  the  sake  of  a  starting  point  then  let  us  say  the  Illinois 
Indians  consisting  of  a  loose  confederation  of  five  tribes  once 
owned  Illinois.  These  were  the  Tamaroas,  Cahokias,  Peorias, 
Kaskakias  and  the  Michigamies.  These  were  other  tribes  in 
Illinois  at  different  times,  but  their  occupation  was  not  perman- 
ent and  they  were  not  considered  as  owning  the  soil  of  Illinois. 

308 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  309 

These  five  Illinois  tribes  were  the  first  owners  or  claimants  of  the 
soil. 

The  continent  of  North  America  was  claimed  by  Spain  as  a 
result  of  the  discoveries  of  Columbus  and  of  other  early  Spanish 
discoverers  and  explorers.  The  Spanish  explorer  who  furnished 
Spain  the  best  claim  to  the  Illinois  Country  was  Ferdinand  De 
Soto,  who  first  saw  the  Missippi  River,  and  whose  travels  about 
that  stream  really  gave  Spain  a  claim  to  Illinois.  There  was 
an  old  law  which  said  that  the  Christian  prince  who  first  saw 
or  discovered  a  river,  should  have  prior  claim  to  the  terri- 
tory drained  by  that  river.  If  there  was  any  merit  in  this 
law,  then  Spain's  claim  to  Illinois  was  a  prior  claim  to  the  one 
by  France,  based  upon  the  proclamation  by  La  Salle  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  year  1632,  April  9. 

Spain  formally  ceded  her  claim  to  all  parts  of  Illinois  to  Great 
Britain  in  the  Treaty  of  Paris  in  1763,  at  which  time  France 
also  ceded  all  her  claim  to  Illinois  to  Great  Britain. 

France's  claim  to  the  Illinois  Country  as  has  been  indicated, 
was  based  upon  the  discovery  and  exploration  of  the  Mississippi 
by  La  Salle,  in  1682.  This  claim  was  reenforced  by  a  charter 
granted  by  Henry  IV,  King  of  France,  in  1603.  This  charter, 
granted  to  Pierre  de  Ganst,  Sieur  de  Monts,  authorized  the 
Sieur  de  Monts  to  settle  and  occupy  any  territory  between  the 
fortieth  and  forty-sixth  degrees  of  north  latitude.  This  would 
include  all  of  Illinois  north  of  the  latitude  of  Springfield  (near- 
ly) and  reaching  to  the  latitude  of  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.  The 
claim  established  by  La  Salle  and  the  assumption  of  ownership 
in  the  charter  of  de  Monts,  were  substantially  strengthened  by 
the  discoveries  and  explorations  of  French  Missionaries  and  by 
the  actual  occupation  by  France  in  1712  and  by  military  force 
in  1718.  All  the  claims  which  France  ever  had  to  the  Illinois 
Country  were  relinquished  to  Great  Britain  in  1763,  at  the  close 
of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  We  thus  see  that  Spain  and 
France  have  both  claimed  Illinois,  and  both  have  relinquished 
their  claims  to  Great  Britain. 

Great  Britain  early  laid  claim  to  the  territory  including  Illi- 
nois. John  Cabot  visited  the  eastern  coast  of  North  America 
in  the  year  1497.  This  gave  Great  Britain  a  claim  to  all  the 
central  part  of  the  continent.  In  the  course  of  the  seventeenth 
century  Great  Britain  parceled  out  to  various  companies  and  to 
individuals  all  this  great  interior  of  the  continent.  The  par- 
ticular grants  which  had  to  do  with  the  Illinois  territory  were 
first,  a  grant  to  the  Virginia  Company  in  1606  which  included 
all  territory  between  the  thirty-fourth  and  forty-fifth  degrees 
of  North  latitude.  There  is  nothing  in  this  charter  however 
which  might  be  interpreted  as  meaning  that  Great  Britain's 
claim  extended  from  sea  to  sea.  But  in  the  amended  charter  of 
1609  there  is  a  distinct  claim  and  grant  of  the  continent  from 
"sea  to  sea."     In  this  year  the  king  issued  what  is  known  as 


310  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  "second  Virginia  charter."  The  geography  of  the  grant  has 
its  basis  in  Point  Comfort  as  the  starting  place.  The  charter 
provides  that  from  points  two  hundred  miles  north  and  two 
hundred  miles  south  of  Point  Comfort  lines  shall  run  west  and 
northwest  enclosing  "all  that  space  and  circuit  of  land,  lying 
from  the  sea  coast  of  the  precinct  foresaid,  up  into  the  land 
throughout  from  sea  to  sea,  west  and  northwest."  This  new 
grant  evidently  reached  four  hundred  miles  along  the  coast. 
Now,  if  the  north  lines  runs  west  and  the  south  line  runs  north- 
west, the  two  lines  will  meet  400  miles  west  of  the  coast,  along 
the  north  line.  If  the  south  line  runs  west  and  the  north  line 
northwest,  the  two  lines  will  diverge  and  will  never  come  to- 
gether. This  is  the  only  interpretation  which  can  be  given  to  the 
boundary  lines  which  will  produce  a  "seat  to  sea"  grant.  In  this 
grant,  as  thus  interpreted,  lies  Illinois;  and  though  the  charter 
issued  in  1809  was  annulled  in  1624,  the  Old  Dominion  always 
claimed  the  territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  River. 

This  claim  of  Virginia  to  the  land  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River 
was  revived  during  the  Revolutionary  war  and  is  the  explana- 
tion of  the  sending  of  the  George  Rogers  Clark  expedition  into 
the  territory  of  the  northwest.  When  in  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, Richard  Henry  Lee  of  Virginia,  introduced  his  resolu- 
tion providing  for  the  declaration  of  the  independence  of  the 
American  colonies,  there  was  coupled  with  this  resolution, 
another  which  provided  for  the  formation  of  a  form  of  govern- 
ment. In  compliance  with  this  resolution  a  committee,  called 
the  Grand  Committee,  composed  of  thirteen  members,  with 
John  Dickinson  as  chairman,  formulated  what  afterwards  came 
to  be  called  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  This  constitution  of 
perpetual  union  was  to  become  effective  only  when  all  of  the 
thirteen  colonies  had  ratified  the  document.  The  war  absorbed 
the  interests  of  the  colonists  and  they  were  slow  about  ratify- 
ing the  articles.  In  the  winter  of  1780-81  all  the  colonies  (or 
states)  had  ratified  except  Maryland.  The  document  was  null 
and  void  without  the  signature  of  Maryland.  The  Maryland 
people  therefore  had  it  in  their  power  to  make  or  break  the 
new  experiment.  This  state  made  a  proposition  to  the  other 
states  that  Maryland  would  ratify  the  articles  if  all  states  hav- 
ing western  lands  would  cede  those  lands  to  the  general  govern- 
ment to  be  used  for  the  good  of  all  the  people  of  all  the  states. 

This  proposition  of  Maryland  was  a  challenge  to  the  states  of 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Virginia,  North  and 
South  Carolina,  and  Georgia.  All  of  those  seven  states  except 
New  York  had  been  given,  in  their  early  days  of  settlement,  "sea 
to  sea"  grants.  New  York  had  acquired  from  the  Iroquois  In- 
dians a  claim  to  large  areas  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  These  states 
with  western  grants  one  by  one  took  steps  to  transfer  their 
claims  to  the  general  government,  whereupon  Maryland  ratified 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  311 

the  Articles  of  Confederation.  Illinois  thus  passed  from  the 
ownership  of  Virginia  to  the  control  of  the  United  States  under 
the  Articles  of  Confederation.     This  was  in  March,  1781. 

The  unsettled  condition  of  the  country  continued  till  the  treaty 
of  peace  of  1783,  and  the  general  government  gave  little  or  no 
attention  to  its  new  lands  till  1784  when  Thomas  Jefferson 
reported  from  a  committee  in  Congress  on  the  government  of 
the  lands  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  This  scheme  of 
Jefferson  was  known  as  the  Ordinance  of  1784.  This  ordi- 
nance was  never  put  into  operation.  In  1785  Congress  passed 
what  is  known  as  the  Survey  Ordinance  which  was  the  basis 
of  the  rectangular  system  of  surveys  used  in  all  national  terri- 
tory since  that  date. 

In  1787  the  ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  territory 
northwest  of  the  Ohio  River  was  passed  by  the  Old  Congress.  It 
was  under  this  ordinance  that  five  states  acquired  the  experi- 
ence which  fitted  them  for  the  trials  and  burdens  of  statehood. 
Illinois  has  passed  through  these  stages  of  development  and  is 
now  ready  to  present  herself  for  aceptance  in  the  Federal  Union. 

We  are  now  ready  to  say  that  the  title  to  the  ownership  of  Illi- 
nois has  been  examined  and  that  the  transfers  have  all  been 
properly  and  legally  made.  We  are  now  ready  to  ask  the 
National  Government  to  admit  us  to  an  equal  position  among 
the  other  states  in  the  Union. 

Territorial  Government 

Some  writers  have  criticised  the  Ordinance  of  1787  for  pro- 
viding a  system  of  territorial  government  which  they  called 
undemocratic.  Fault  is  found  that  the  people  in  a  definite  area 
of  territory  as  the  Northwest  Territory  or  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory 'were  obliged  to  serve  a  period  of  probation  before  they 
were  given  the  control  of  their  own  political  affairs.  The  system 
of  political  development  is  characterized  as  undemocratic. 
There  were  three  stages  of  political  growth.  In  the  first  stage 
the  people  had  no  initiative.  Government  was  imposed  from 
without.  The  people  were  truly  governed.  In  the  second  stage 
there  were  simple  phases  of  self-government  permitted.  There 
were  opportunities  for  initiation.  The  people  elected  a  legisla- 
tive body  consisting  of  an  upper  and  a  lower  house.  'Tis  true 
that  the  governor  had  the  veto  power,  but  this  only  served  to  add 
a  caution  to  the  legislature  and  to  tend  to  hold  them  within 
bounds.  It  is  a  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  suppose  that  meas- 
ures of  unquestioned  value  to  the  young  political  community 
would  be  vetoed  and  that  the  wishes  of  the  best  people  would 
be  ruthlessly  cast  aside  because  an  absolute  veto  power  per- 
mitted it. 


312  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Comparisons 

The  whole  theory  of  political  development  has  always  been 
from  absolute  monarchial  forms  to  limited  aristocracies  and 
thence  to  republican  democracies.  If  one  were  observant  in  the 
days  before  the  coming  of  the  horseless  carriages,  when  the 
father  with  his  wife  and  two-year-old  were  enjoying  a  carriage 
ride,  he  would  have  noticed  that  the  father  was  too  wise  to  turn 
over  the  control  of  the  spirited  team  to  the  two-year-old.  The 
father  may  allow  the  young  son  to  hold  the  lines  back  of  the 
father's  grip,  but  not  in  front  at  first.  It  seems  to  the  writer 
that  the  plan  of  colonial  political  development  which  was  with- 
out doubt  hastily  worked  out  by  the  Congress  of  1787,  was  an 
admirable  one.  No  other  plan  has  been  devised  in  the  past 
century  and  a  third  and  the  United  States  within  that  period 
has  settled  vast  areas  of  territory  and  has  fostered  the  growth 
of  millions  of  population.  The  famed  colonial  systems  of  Greece, 
Rome,  England,  and  Spain  sink  into  insignificance  when  com- 
pared with  the  work  in  that  line  accomplished  by  the  United 
States  under  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  It  may  be  that  we  shall 
understand  the  Ordinance  of  1787  better  if  we  remember  that 
the  Congress  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation  had  in  the  later 
years  been  deprived  of  the  wise  counsel  of  the  great  men  who 
had  in  earlier  years  given  it  their  time,  their  minds,  and  hearts. 
It  was  no  longer,  in  1784  to  1787,  a  body  in  which  the  best 
minds  desired  a  seat.  It  was  more  desirable  to  be  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature  than  to  be  a  member  of  Congress.  And 
there  were  other  public  places  which  brought  more  honor  than 
membership  in  the  old  Congress.  It  should  be  said  to  the  credit 
of  the  Southern  states  that  their  representatives  remained  longer 
at  their  posts  in  the  old  Congress  than  did  the  representatives  of 
the  Northern  states. 

Make-up  of  Congress 

In  the  summer  of  1787  when  Doctor  Cutler  reached  New  York 
he  found  in  Congress  representatives  from  eight  states,  namely : 
Massachusetts,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  Virginia, 
North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia.  Three  Northern 
states  and  five  Southern  states.  The  only  Southern  state  not 
represented  was  Maryland,  while  four  Northern  states  were 
unrepresented — New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut  and 
Pennsylvania.  When  the  ordinance  that  was  under  the  consid- 
eration at  the  time  Doctor  Cutler  reacher  Congress,  was  referred 
to  a  new  committee  for  final  action,  the  committee  was  made 
up  of  Dane  of  Massachusetts,  Smith  of  New  York,  Carrington 
and  Lee  of  Virginia  and  Kean  of  South  Carolina.  Two  North- 
ern men  and  three  Southern  men.  If  then  we  will  bear  in 
mind  that  Congress  was  made  up  of  three  Northern  states  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  313 

five  Southern  states,  and  that  the  committee  was  made  up  of 
two  Northern  men  and  three  Southern  men,  it  will  be  easy  to 
understand  the  statement  that  Southern  notions  of  political 
organization  and  not  Northern  notions  dominated  the  Congress. 
In  the  New  England  states  the  town  system  of  local  government 
prevailed.  The  government  was  democratic,  the  people  elected 
all  officials  who  exercised  political  authority.  In  the  South  the 
county  government  idea  prevailed.  There  were  no  popular 
assemblies  corresponding  to  the  town  meetings  of  New  England. 
All  men  who  held  official  position  were  appointed  to  office.  The 
government  was  artistocratic — it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  "well 
born." 

Government  Aristocratic 

It  would  be  strange  if  the  Ordinance  of  1787  had  had  any  pro- 
vision for  government  by  all  the  people.  The  men  who  made 
it  were  not  believers  in  government  by  all  the  people.  They  there- 
fore incorporated  in  the  ordinance  the  appointive  method  of  fill- 
ing public  stations.  The  governor  was  appointed  by  Congress, 
likewise  the  three  territorial  judges  and  the  secretary.  The 
governor  was  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  militia,  and  ap- 
pointed and  commissioned  all  minor  militia  officers.  He  also 
appointed  all  civil  officers  which  he  thought  were  necessary  in 
the  several  counties  and  townships.  To  show  that  the  organi- 
zation was  aristocratic  we  need  only  point  out  that  the  governor 
must  own  1,000  acres  of  land,  while  the  secretary  and  judges 
must  own  500  acres. 

There  were  some  evidence  that  the  political  organization  of  a 
territory  under  the  ordinance  was  artistocratic  even  after  the 
territory  had  passed  into  the  second  grade.  For  even  here  the 
members  of  the  council  (or  senate)  were  obliged  to  own  500 
acres  of  land  and  the  members  of  the  lower  house  must  own 
200  acres.  Even  the  electors  must  own  a  free  hold  of  fifty 
acres  as  a  prerequisite  to  participating  in  a  general  election. 

When  Jefferson  purchased  Louisiana  in  1803,  the  problem  of 
its  government  was  not  easy  of  solution.  It  was  at  first  put 
under  the  care  of  the  governor  and  judges  of  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory. But  in  1804  the  south  half,  the  more  thickly  settled  por- 
tion, was  by  a  law  of  Congress  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Presi- 
dent. He  was  to  devise  and  carry  out  any  plan  which  he  deemed 
wise.  The  general  plan  adopted  was  similar  to  that  laid  down 
in  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  "He,  the  President,  simply  stepped 
into  the  place  of  King  Charles  of  Spain,  as  the  absolute  ruler  of 
the  province."  It  was  argued  that  such  principles  as  govern- 
ment by  the  consent  of  the  governed,  popular  control  of  officials 
through  the  ballot  box,  trial  by  jury,  and  no  taxation  without 
representation  were  completely  ignored  by  the  system  of  gov- 
ernment which  was  instituted  by  the  plan  adopted  by  Congress 
and  the  President.     In  1803  Edward  Livingston  of  New  York, 


314  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

a  brother  of  Robert  R.  Livingston,  a  patriot  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary days,  moved  to  New  Orleans  where  he  began  the  prac- 
tice of  law.  Mr.  Livingston  soon  entered  upon  a  period  of  agita- 
tion for  a  fuller  measure  of  self-government.  On  behalf  of 
"planters,  merchants,  and  other  inhabitants  of  Louisiana"  he 
formulated  a  vigorous  protest  against  the  law  passed  in  Con- 
gress which  deprived  the  inhabitants  of  Louisiana  of  participat- 
ing in  their  government.  His  chief  argument  was  that  the  pur- 
chase treaty  promised  the  right  and  privileges  of  American  citi- 
zens to  the  inhabitants  who  occupied  the  territory  which  was 
bought  by  President  Jefferson. 

Mr.  Livingston  made  a  good  case  for  his  clients  and  Congress 
modified  the  law,  somewhat,  but  in  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants 
they  never  realized  the  full  rights  of  Americans  citizens  till  the 
territory  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state  in  1812. 

Rights  of  Suffrage  Modified 

Illinois  came  to  be  a  territory  of  the  first  class  in  1809.  Prior 
to  this  time  several  states  in  the  Union  had  omitted  the  clauses 
in  their  constitutions  which  required  property  qualifications  of 
the  electors.  And  in  keeping  with  this  spirit  of  progress,  the 
Congress  had  liberalized  the  requirements  for  voting  in  the 
Indiana  Territory,  and  had  given  the  voters  the  right  to  elect 
the  territorial  delegate  in  Congress  and  also  the  members  of  the 
upper  house,  or  council,  of  the  territorial  legislature.  These 
were  regarded  as  great  concessions  by  the  Federal  Government 
to  the  pioneers  who  were  pushing  westward  the  frontier  line  of 
civilization.  When  Illinois  reached  the  period  when  she  should 
pass  to  a  territory  of  the  second  class,  there  was  a  very  general 
notion  that  the  question  of  passing  was  in  the  hands  of  a  very 
small  number.  There  were  supposed  to  be  12,000  people  in 
Illinois  at  that  time.  One-fifth  of  these  or  2,400  would  be  over 
twenty-one  years  of  age  and  by  all  means  should  take  part  in  the 
election.  Governor  Edwards  thought  at  that  time  that  there 
were  not  over  two  hundred  and  twenty  actual  votes — since  each 
voter  must  own  fifty  acres  of  land  and  since  the  land  in  Illinois 
had  not  been  put  on  the  market.  Governor  Edwards  in  a  letter 
dated  Elvirade,  Randolph  County,  March  14,  1812,  and  addressed 
to  Hon.  Richard  M.  Johnson,  congressman  from  Kentucky,  ex- 
plains at  length  that  the  people  of  Illinois  can  not  participate 
in  the  government  because  of  this  restriction  upon  the  right  of 
suffrage.  He  shows  that  130  free  holders  can  cast  the  vote  of 
more  than  12,000  population. 

Congressman  Johnson,  in  response  to  the  governor's  letter  and 
to  petitions  sent  in  from  Illinois  citizens,  secured  the  passage 
of  a  law  which  greatly  pleased  the  people  of  Illinois.  It  granted 
the  right  of  suffrage  to  all  free  white  males  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  and  who  had  paid  a  territorial  tax.    The  law  was  passed 


NINIAN  EDWARDS 


316  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

on  May,  1812,  and  in  the  election  to  test  the  wish  of  the  people 
of  Illinois  on  passing  to  the  second-class,  held  in  October,  1812, 
the  vote  cast  was  in  excess  of  400.  But  the  territory  was  in 
the  midst  of  the  war  and  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  date  and 
purpose  of  the  election  was  not  generally  well  known.  From 
this  time  on  to  1818,  the  people  of  the  territory  became  organized 
into  political  factions. 

Factions 

These  factions  did  some  good  as  they  kept  alive  the  matter  of 
representation  and  popular  participation  in  the  government. 
There  grew  up  an  Edwards  party  and  an  anti-Edwards  party. 
The  separation  of  the  people  into  two  factions  grew  out  of  the 
effort  to  establish  a  rule  that  the  three  Federal  judges  should 
serve  as  a  supreme  court  and  at  the  same  time  perform  circuit 
court  duty.  An  appeal  was  finally  taken  to  Congress  which 
decided  with  the  view  held  by  Governor  Edwards  that  the  judges 
should  hold  circuit  courts.  This  seemed  to  be  a  victory  won  by 
Governor  Edwards  and  the  death  of  one  of  the  judges  shortly 
thereafter  intensified  the  factional  conflict.  In  filling  the  place 
made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Judge  Griswold,  Governor  Edwards' 
candidate,  Thomas  Towles  of  Kentucky,  was  the  successful 
candidate. 

Among  the  public  men  who  were  more  or  less  concerned  in 
what  we  may  call  factional  politics  were  the  governor,  Nathaniel 
Pope,  Shadrach  Bond,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  John  McLean,  Leonard 
White,  Thomas  C.  Browne,  Daniel  Pope  Cook,  Jesse  B.  Thomas, 
Joseph  M.  Street.  There  were  other  public  men,  but  these 
were  the  men  who  molded  policies  and  directed  the  public  mind. 
Among  these  public  men  the  one  who  is  given  the  credit  for  ini- 
tiating the  movement  for  the  admission  of  the  Territory  of  Illi- 
nois into  the  Union  as  a  state  was  Daniel  Pope  Cook,  a  young 
lawyer  who  had  grown  up  under  the  care  of  Nathaniel  Pope. 
By  the  aid  of  powerful  friends  he  had  carried  dispatches  to 
John  Quincy  Adams,  minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  Lon- 
don. Upon  his  return  from  London  he  became  the  editor  of  the 
Western  Intelligencer,  a  newspaper  formerly  owned  by  Mathew 
Duncan  and  published  in  Kaskaskia. 

Editor  Cook 

Mr.  Cook  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men  of  terri- 
torial days.  The  Hon.  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  editor  of  the  Ed- 
wards' Papers  says  of  Cook:  "He  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  remarkable  men  whose  name  ever  graced  the 
annals  of  Illinois."  Mr.  Cook  served  three  terms  in  Congress 
and  died  shortly  after  the  close  of  this  third  term.  Mr.  Wash- 
burne again  says:  "There  was  before  him  when  he  died  the 
promise  of  a  most  brilliant  and  distinguished   career,   which 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  317 

would  have  added  additional  lustre  to  his  name  and  brought 
additional  honor  to  the  state  of  his  adoption." 

When  Mr.  Cook  took  charge  of  the  Kaskaskia  Herald  he 
changed  its  name  to  the  Western  Intelligencer.  The  editorials 
were  of  a  high  order  and  the  paper  took  on  new  life  and  inter- 
est. In  addition  to  the  editorials  and  news  columns,  articles 
began  to  appear  under  the  guise  of  contributions,  signed  by 
Aristides.  These  articles  follow  the  general  line  of  complaint 
that  the  Ordinance  of  1787  under  which  all  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory must  be  governed  till  it  is  all  admitted  as  states  into  the 
Union,  should  be  greatly  modified  or  set  aside.  And  since  there 
had  been  several  attempts  made  to  have  the  ordinance  changed 
without  success,  the  only  thing  left  as  an  alternative  was  the 
admission  of  the  territory  as  a  state.  A  propaganda  was  set 
on  foot.  There  was  the  assurance  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
Territory  in  population,  the  need  of  electing  a  delegate  to  Con- 
gress who  would  stand  pledged  to  the  annulling  of  the  ordinance 
or  at  least  those  parts  which  prohibited  the  greatest  freedom 
in  political  action. 

Nathaniel  Pope  entered  Congress  as  a  delegate  on  his  second 
term  in  December,  1817.  The  public  men  in  Illinois  led  by 
young  Daniel  P.  Cook  were  successfully  agitating  the  question 
of  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a  state  into  the  Union.  "Aris- 
tides" as  well  as  the  editor  of  the  Intelligencer  were  active  in 
keeping  the  matter  before  the  public.  They  compared  the  posi- 
tion of  Illinois  with  reference  to  the  general  government  with 
that  of  the  colonies  and  Great  Britain  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Late  in  1816  Aristides  said:  "The  present  rapid  influx 
of  population,  that  growing  and  prosperous  state  of  the  coun- 
try, justifies  the  belief  that  it  will  not  be  more  than  three  or 
four  years  before  we  will  burst  the  chains  of  despotism,  by 
which  we  are  now  bound,  and  stand  a  sovereign  and  indepen- 
dent state."  An  informal  census  had  been  taken  and  it  was 
known  that  the  population  was  only  a  little  above  30,000.  The 
ordinance  provided  that  there  should  be  60,000  inhabitants 
before  a  state  could  be  admitted  into  the  Union.  However,  the 
people  were  urged  to  talk  about  admission  and  to  continually 
keep  the  matter  before  the  people.  When  in  a  rather  discour- 
aged tone  the  Intelligencer  said:  "The  question  (the  admission 
to  statehood)  not  very  important  at  present,  as  the  population 
of  the  territory  will  not  in  all  probability,  within  the  time  for 
which  the  present  delegate  is  to  be  elected,  entitle  us  to  the 
redress  alluded  to.  So  soon  as  the  population  is  sufficient  we 
hope  that  those  evils  will  be  obviated  by  a  state  government." 

Propaganda 

Young  Cook  was  called  to  Washington  in  February,  1817. 
Here  he  was  entrusted  with  dispatches  to  the  Court  of  St.  James. 


318  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

He  returned  to  Washington  in  the  late  summer  and  tarried  a 
while  hoping  for  a  remunerative  appointment  from  the  Presi- 
dent, but  nothing  offered  that  was  attractive  and  he  returned 
to  Kaskaskia  in  November,  1817.  Two  days  after  his  arrival 
in  Kaskaskia,  an  editorial  appeared  in  the  Intelligencer  which 
indicates  a  rapid  movement  at  least  in  Cook's  mind  as  to  the 
desirability  of  admitting  Illinois  into  the  Union.  "While  we 
are  laboring  under  so  many  of  the  grievances  of  a  territorial, 
or  semi-monarchical  government,  might  not  our  claims  to  a 
state  government  be  justly  urged?  That  part  of  our  territory 
which  must  ultimately  form  a  state  will  no  doubt  be  willing  to 
take  the  burden  of  a  state  government  upon  themselves  at  this 
time,  rather  than  submit  any  longer  to  those  degradations  which 
they  have  so  long  been  compelled  to  put  up  with.  We  hope  in 
our  next  issue  to  present  to  our  readers,  such  a  view  of  the 
subject  as  will  induce  our  fellow  citizens,  as  well  as  the  Legis- 
lature, to  take  such  measures  as  will  bring  it  before  the  national 
Legislature,  at  their  approaching  session.  We  invite  a  discus- 
sion of  the  measure  by  such  gentlemen  as  have,  or  will  reflect 
on  the  subject." 

In  the  following  issue  there  appeared  a  discussion  of  some 
of  the  objections  to  the  assumption  of  statehood.  One  of  the 
objections  that  was  discussed  was  the  cost  of  statehood  as 
compared  with  that  of  territorial  government.  It  was  pointed 
out  that  under  territorial  government  the  national  government 
was  meeting  all  the  expenses.  The  governor,  judges,  and  secre- 
tary were  all  on  the  pay  roll  of  the  United  States.  The  amount 
of  the  annual  pay  roll  was  some  better  than  $6,000.  It  was 
pointed  out  that  for  a  few  years  it  would  be  possible  to  secure 
the  services  of  patriotic  citizens  gratis,  or  at  least  at  a  nominal 
salary.  Another  objection  to  statehood  was  the  very  large  per- 
centage of  the  population  that  was  French  and  therefore  ignor- 
ant and  unable  to  participate  in  political  activities.  This  was 
met  by  the  statement  that  nine-tenths  of  the  voting  population 
were  Americans  and  that  prior  to  their  coming  to  Illinois  had 
participated  in  government  in  the  states  from  which  they  came. 

The  arguments  in  favor  of  the  territory's  assuming  the  respon- 
sibilities of  statehood  were  pointed  out  as  follows:  A  constitu- 
tion could  be  so  framed  as  to  take  from  the  governor  the  abso- 
lute veto.  (The  law  makers  fretted  very  much  over  the  fact 
that  the  territorial  governor  had  the  absolute  veto  power.)  The 
state  would  be  supreme  with  regard  to  its  internal  affairs.  The 
claim  was  set  up  that  under  the  territorial  system  of  courts 
that  crimes  often  of  the  darkest  hue  went  unpunished  because 
the  ultimate  control  of  the  courts  was  not  in  the  hands  of  the 
people,  but  in  the  hands  of  appointive  judges.  Mr.  Cook  said 
that  demoralized  condition  of  the  judiciary  was  a  sufficient 
justification  for  desiring  statehood. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  319 

Dr.  John  Snyder,  who  lived  in  Cahokia  in  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century  and  was  familiar  with  conditions  in 
those  early  days  says,  in  his  sketch  of  Conrad  Will,  that  "The 
population  of  Illinois  Territory  had  so  greatly  increased,  and 
the  politicians  and  office  seekers  had  become  so  clamorous  for  a 
state  government  that  the  Territorial  Legislature,  at  its  Janu- 
ary (1818)  session  passed  a  resolution  instructing  Nathaniel 
Pope,  the  Illinois  delegate  in  Congress,  to  present  a  petition  to 
Congress  asking  for  enactment  of  a  law  enabling  the  people  of 
Illinois  Territory  to  form  a  state  government  which  he  did." 
As  Dr.  Snyder  says,  the  politicians  and  office  seekers  were 
chiefly  concerned  in  getting  the  territory  into  the  Union,  and 
although  there  were  two  factions  as  has  been  stated  they  were 
all  for  securing  the  territory's  admission  into  the  Union.  The 
line-up  has  been  given  as  follows:  Those  with  Governor 
Edwards  were  Nathaniel  Pope,  Daniel  P.  Cook,  Thomas  C. 
Browne,  George  Forquer,  and  Pierre  Menard.  The  opposing 
faction  included  Shadrach  Bond,  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Michael 
Jones,  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  and  William  Kinney. 
We  shall  see  how  the  offices  in  the  new  state  were  distributed. 

The  most  serious  problem  before  the  proponents  of  admis- 
sion was  the  lack  of  population.  The  ordinance  required  60,000, 
but  when  Ohio  applied  for  admission  in  1802,  the  census,  taken 
by  the  territorial  officials,  reached  45,028.  Yet  the  Ohio  people 
on  top  of  that  pressed  their  petitions  for  an  enabling  act.  The 
act  was  passed  and  Ohio  eventually  admitted.  Indiana  was 
admitted  with  a  population  of  8,000  more  than  the  required 
number.  Mr.  Cook  argued  that  the  admission  of  Illinois  on  a 
population  less  than  that  required  in  the  ordinance  would  not 
"be  inconsistent  with  the  general  interests  of  the  confederacy." 
It  was  generally  believed  that  the  admission  of  the  territory 
would  greatly  stimulate  immigration  and  that  there  were  com- 
mercial and  economic  advantages  which  would  greatly  counter- 
balance the  mere  lack  of  a  few  thousand  population. 

Again,  there  was  another  question  which  was  a  great  detri- 
ment to  the  growth  in  population,  and  in  other  ways,  as  long 
as  Illinois  remained  a  territory.  That  was  the  slavery  ques- 
tion. Slavery  existed  under  the  French  regime.  It  was  legal 
under  British  control,  and  the  treaty  of  1783  guaranteed  to  the 
inhabitants  all  their  possessions  under  the  United  States.  The 
Ordinance  of  1787  prohibited  it,  but  no  court  had  ever  passed 
on  its  validity.  The  slaves  that  were  here  when  the  treaty  of 
1783  was  signed  were  still  slaves  and  children  born  of  slave 
mothers  were  slaves.  But  an  interpretation  of  the  ordinance 
had  gone  out  which  said  all  persons  in  slavery  when  the  land 
cessions  were  made  to  the  general  government  were  to  be 
regarded  as  still  in  bondage,  but  that  no  slaves  could  be  brought 
into  Illinois  from  a  slave  state.     People  were  in  great  doubt. 


320  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Slave  holders  in  the  old  slave  states  could  not  afford  to  move 
into  Illinois  for  fear  their  slaves  would  be  set  free.  People  in 
Pennsylvania,  New  York  and  the  New  England  states  dare  not 
move  in  for  fear  that  when  the  territory  did  come  into  the 
Union  it  would  come  in  as  a  slave  state.  So  there  was  little 
interest  in  coming  to  Illinois  by  either  the  slave  owners  or  the 
free  state  people. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ENABLING  ACT 

Membership  of  Legislature — The  Petition — Slavery — Mr. 
Pope  Presents  Petition — The  Northern  Boundary — 
Some  Features  of  the  Act — Commercial  Possibilities — 
Electing  Delegates — Expedient  or  Inexpedient — Who's 
Who  Among  the  Delegates — Occupations — Military 
Service. 

The  third  Territorial  Legislature  met  at  Kaskaskia  Decem- 
ber 2,  1816,  and  adjourned  January  14,  1817.  A  second  and 
called  session  of  the  third  Legislature  met  December  1,  1817, 
and  adjourned  January  12,  1818. 

The  membership  of  this  general  assembly  was  as  follows: 

Membership  of  Legislature 

The  Council 
Randolph,  Pierre  Menard,  president. 
Madison,  John  G.  Lofton. 
St.  Clair,  Abraham  Amos. 
Johnson,  John  Grammar. 
Gallatin,  Thomas  C.  Browne. 
Joseph  Conway,  Secretary. 

House  of  Representatives 

Randolph,  Dr.  George  Fisher,  speaker. 

St.  Clair,  Charles  R.  Matheny,  William  H.  Bradsby. 

Jackson,  Nathan  Davis. 

Johnson,  Joseph  Palmer. 

Edwards,  Seth  Gard. 

Pope,  Samuel  0.  Melveny. 

Gallatin,  M.  S.  Davenport. 

White,  Willis  Hargrave. 

Monroe,  John  Moredock. 

Madison,  Mr.  Gilham. 

Crawford,  Edward  N.  Cullom. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  foregoing  list  of  counties  is  four 
counties  short  of  the  proper  number,  fifteen.  One  explanation 
is  that  the  ordinance  required  that  a  member  of  the  lower  house 
should  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  three  years  and  that  he 
should  be  the  holder  in  fee  simple  of  200  acres  of  land  within 
the  territory.    Complaint  was  made  that  there  were  large  areas 

321 

13V1 


322  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

where  no  one  could  qualify  for  membership  in  either  the  lower 
or  the  upper  House  of  the  Legislature. 

As  has  been  said  the  Legislature  met  in  special  session  on 
December  1,  1817.  On  the  next  day  the  governor,  Ninian 
Edwards,  delivered  his  message.  This  was  an  optimistic  speech 
in  which  he  congratulated  the  members  of  the  Legislature,  and 
the  territory  "upon  the  flattering  prospects  which  our  astonish- 
ingly rapid  increase  in  population  affords  that  our  present  tem- 
porary government  must  soon  give  place  to  one  more  congenial 
to  the  principles  of  natural  liberty."  The  governor  pointed  out 
that  one  of  the  prerequisites  to  asking  Congress  to  consider  an 
application  for  statehood  was  definite  knowledge  of  the  popula- 
tion of  the  territory.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  governor  at 
this  time  was  enthusiastic  about  seeking  admission  into  the 
Union  as  a  state.  One  would  think  that  Governor  Edwards 
would  be  consulted  as  to  any  plans  which  Cook  was  working  out 
for  an  immediate  movement  on  Congress.  Cook  belonged  to 
Edwards'  faction  and  later  married  the  governor's  daughter. 
Cook  was  not  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  but  he  was  the  clerk 
of  the  Lower  House  and  thus  had  a  splendid  opportunity  not 
only  to  know  what  public  thought  was  but  in  a  large  measure 
to  influence  its  formation. 

The  governor  in  his  message  had  referred  to  the  taking  of  the 
census  so  the  results  might  be  laid  before  the  next  Legislature. 
Now,  the  next  Legislature  would  not  meet  until  December,  1818, 
and  the  active  spirits  could  not  think  of  another  whole  year 
of  marking  time.  On  the  same  day  that  the  governor's  message 
was  received,  steps  were  taken  looking  toward  securing  admis- 
sion. William  H.  Bradsby,  a  very  active  and  intelligent  mem- 
ber of  the  Lower  House,  introduced  a  resolution  providing  "that 
a  committee  be  appointed  to  draft  a  memorial  to  Congress  pray- 
ing for  this  territory  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union,  with  all  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  a  state  government."  The  motion  pre- 
vailed, the  committee  was  appointed,  the  memorial  was  formu- 
lated, and  on  December  the  6th  the  House  adopted  the  memo- 
rial. There  was  no  opposition,  and  the  memorial  was  sent  to 
the  council  which  also  adopted  it.  Mr.  Alvord  in  Volume  I  of 
the  Centennial  History  of  Illinois  has  pointed  out  that  prob- 
ably one  thing  which  hastened  the  leaders  in  Illinois  to  a  deci- 
sion to  lose  no  time  in  preventing  their  case  in  Congress  was 
the  fact  that  Missouri  was  at  the  same  time  agitating  the  ques- 
tion of  the  admission  of  that  territory  into  the  Union.  In  fact 
Missouri  presented  her  request  in  March,  1818. 

The  Petition 

The  memorial  prepared  by  the  committee  of  the  Lower  House 
had  without  doubt  the  help  of  Mr.  Cook,  as  there  are  incorpo- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  323 

rated  in  it  many  points  which  had  been  discussed  in  the  Intelli- 
gencer within  the  past  year.    Some  of  the  points  are: 

1.  An  assurance  that  the  population  had  reached  a  suffi- 
ciently large  number  to  justify  the  people  in  taking  over  the 
government. 

2.  The  Territorial  Government  is  characterized  as  undemo- 
cratic, hostile  to  the  principles  of  republican  government. 

3.  The  population  is  estimated  from  reliable  sources  at  not 
less  than  40,000,  made  up  of  immigrants  from  the  eastern  as 
well  as  from  the  western  states. 

4.  The  burden  of  financial  support  for  the  new  state  could 
be  met  (it  was  suggested)  by  grants  to  the  state  by  the  general 
government  of  the  lead  mines  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
state,  and  of  the  salines  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state. 

5.  There  was  only  a  suggestion  that  the  sixteenth  section  in 
each  township  be  reserved  for  the  schools  of  the  township. 

6.  The  suggestion  is  also  made  that  a  certain  per  cent  of 
the  income  from  the  sale  of  the  public  lands  within  the  state  be 
granted  to  the  state  to  be  expended  for  the  betterment  of  the 
public  roads. 

7.  Similar  generous  gifts  from  the  general  government  had 
been  made  to  Ohio,  admitted  in  1803 ;  Indiana,  admitted  in  1816 ; 
and  Mississippi,  admitted  in  1817.  The  petitioners  therefore 
most  humbly  ask  for  similar  generous  consideration. 

Slavery 

There  were  two  questions  still  in  the  minds  of  those  who  were 
pushing  the  admission  of  Illinois  to  statehood.  One  was  whether 
the  Congress  would  accept  the  statement  that  there  were  40,000 
inhabitants  in  Illinois;  and  the  other  was  what  is  to  be  done 
about  slavery?  To  meet  the  first  question — as  to  the  population 
— the  Legislature  authorized  the  taking  of  the  census.  The 
enumeration  was  to  be  made  under  the  direction  of  the  Terri- 
torial Legislature.  The  enumeration  was  to  be  begun  on  April 
1st  and  should  be  completed  by  June  1st.  The  returns  should 
be  delivered  to  the  secretary  of  the  territory.  A  supplementary 
law  was  enacted  which  provided  for  adding  to  the  report  turned 
in  on  June  1st,  all  newcomers  who  might  arrive  between  June  1st 
and  December  following.  In  case  the  Congress  did  not  question 
the  statement  in  the  petition  as  to  the  number  of  inhabitants, 
then  the  supplementary  counting  should  be  abandoned.  The 
slavery  question,  however,  was  a  real  problem. 

This  question  was  raised  when  a  resolution  was  introduced 
into  the  Legislature  declaring  the  indenture  laws  then  in  force 
in  the  Illinois  Territory  as  a  violation  of  the  slavery  article  in 
the  Ordinance  of  1787.  The  incoming  population,  at  least  since 
1815,  was  largely  from  the  non-slave  holding  states,  and  the 


324  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

anti-slavery  sentiment  was  getting  stronger  from  day  to  day. 
It  was  known  that  Missouri  would  apply  for  admission  as  a 
slave  state  and  it  was  generally  believed  that  the  territory 
would  be  admitted  as  a  slave  state.  If  so,  this  would  strengthen 
the  slavery  sentiment  in  Illinois.  If  the  indenture  system 
could  be  declared  unconstitutional  by  the  Legislature  and  the 
whole  system  abolished  before  the  writing  of  the  new  constitu- 
tion for  Illinois  it  would  help  very  much  to  exclude  slavery 
therefrom.  The  bill  was  warmly  debated  and  passed  by  both 
the  Lower  and  the  Upper  House,  but  was  vetoed  by  the  governor. 
Governor  Edwards  wrote  a  very  excellent  defense  of  his  action 
in  vetoing  the  bill,  but  stated  in  the  message  that  he  was  no 
advocate  of  slavery  and  if  it  depended  on  him,  slavery  would 
never  be  admitted  into  another  state  or  territory.  The  governor 
suggested  to  anti-slavery  supporters  that  they  might  proceed 
in  two  other  ways  to  accomplish  their  end,  but  they  did  not 
make  any  further  attempt  to  annul  the  indenture  laws.  The 
thought  at  that  time  was  that  the  battle  would  have  to  be  fought 
out  in  the  election  of  delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention. 
Before  leaving  the  Legislature  we  may  recall  that  before 
adjournment  they  created  three  new  counties — Washington, 
Franklin,  Union.  There  were  now  fifteen  counties.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  these  three  new  counties  might  have  something 
to  do  in  determining  the  make-up  of  the  convention  for  the 
making  of  the  constitution  in  case  Congress  should  pass  the 
enabling  act. 

Congress  met  in  the  early  part  of  December,  1817.  Nathaniel 
Pope,  who  had  been  elected  delegate  in  Congress  in  1816,  reached 
Washington  on  the  6th  of  December.  The  petition  asking  for 
admission  was  passed  by  the  council  on  the  10th  of  December, 
1817.  It  was  forwarded  immediately  to  Mr.  Pope.  It  has  been 
stated  that  without  doubt  Mr.  Pope  had  taken  no  part  in  work- 
ing up  sentiment  in  favor  of  admission.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
he  was  interested  in  getting  Illinois  into  the  Union  before  Mis- 
souri should  attract  the  attention  of  the  opposing  forces  for 
many  people  could  see  that  Missouri  was  destined  to  cause  a 
real  sectional  fight  in  the  Congress. 

Mr.  Pope  Presents  the  Petition 

The  petition  of  the  Illinois  Legislature  was  presented  to  the 
House  on  January  16,  1818.  It  seems  not  to  have  stirred  up  any 
opposition  at  least  at  first.  It  was  a  great  compliment  to  Natha- 
niel Pope  to  be  named  chairman  of  a  special  committee  of  five 
to  consider  the  petition  and  report  to  the  House.  The  other 
members  were  Claiborne  of  Tennessee;  Johnson  of  Kentucky; 
Spencer  of  New  York;  and  Whitman  of  Massachusetts.  Three 
of  these  men  were  from  north  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line, 
while  two  were  from  slave  states.    It  is  evident  that  this  select 


NATHANIEL   POPE 


326  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

or  special  committee  of  five  set  immdiately  to  the  task  of  con- 
sidering the  petition  sent  in  by  the  Legislature  of  the  Territory 
of  Illinois,  for  on  the  23d  of  January,  just  one  week  from  the 
day  the  committee  was  appointed,  they  began  work.  One  thing 
that  enabled  them  to  work  rapidly  was  they  had  the  enabling 
act  which  was  passed  for  the  admission  of  Indiana  and  the  two 
acts  were  in  the  main  alike.  However,  Mr.  Pope  soon  discov- 
ered a  weak  spot  in  the  petition.  This  was  the  question  of 
population.  The  memorial  or  petition  stated  that  the  popula- 
tion was  estimated  at  "not  less  than  40,000  souls."  Mr.  Pope 
could  not  make  any  definite  statement  to  the  committee  as  to 
the  population.  No  census  had  recently  been  taken  and  Mr. 
Pope  was  left  in  an  embarrassing  position.  When  the  enabling 
bill  was  first  drawn  a  proviso  required  that  the  census  be  taken 
prior  to  the  meeting  of  the  convention.  Mr.  Pope,  writing  to 
the  editor  of  the  Intelligencer,  says  he  hopes  to  get  this  proviso 
struck  from  the  bill.  To  one  at  this  distance  from  the  incidents 
it  would  appear  that  Mr.  Pope  was  not  convinced  himself  that 
there  were  40,000  people  within  the  territory.  He  suggests  to 
Mr.  Cook  that  if  they  had  assurances  that  there  were  35,000 
inhabitants,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting  favorable 
action  on  the  bill  at  the  hands  of  the  special  committee.  The 
reason  he  mentions  this  number  was  that  during  the  decade 
from  1810  to  1820  the  congressional  ratio  was  35,000  and  this 
number  would  justify  one  representation  which  the  Federal 
constitution  grants  each  state — large  or  small. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787,  Article  V  of  the  "Compact,"  provided 
that  there  should  be  formed  in  the  said  Northwest  Territory 
not  fewer  than  three  nor  more  than  five  states  with  certain  boun- 
daries stated  in  the  said  article  for  three  states  which  might 
be  formed  out  of  the  territory  south  of  an  east  and  west  line 
passing  through  the  southerly  bend  of  Lake  Michigan.  North 
of  this  east  and  west  line  the  Congress  was  authorized  to  form 
two  states.  The  boundary  between  the  west  state  (Illinois) 
and  the  middle  state  (Indiana)  should  be  the  Wabash  River 
and  a  north  and  south  line  through  Vincennes.  When  Indiana 
was  admitted  the  enabling  act  fixed  the  western  boundary  at 
the  middle  of  the  Wabash  River  and  a  north  and  south  line 
drawn  through  Vincennes  as  far  north  as  ten  miles  north  of 
the  parallel  passing  through  the  southerly  bend  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Thus  the  northern  boundary  line  of  Indiana  was  fixed  at 
a  parallel  ten  miles  north  of  the  parallel  designated  in  the 
Ordinance  of  1787. 

The  Northern  Boundary 

The  enabling  act  as  far  as  boundary  is  concerned,  reported 
to  Congress  by  Mr.  Pope's  committee  fixed  the  northern  boundary 
at  the  parallel  of  41°  37'  07.9,"  the  parallel  of  the  most  south- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  327 

erly  curve  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  committee,  as  has  been  said, 
was  appointed  on  the  16th  of  January,  1818,  and  reported  on 
January  23d.  The  bill  was  read  twice  and  committed  to  the 
committee  of  the  whole,  on  the  next  Monday,  which  would  have 
been  January  26.  It  appears  that  there  were  so  many  bills 
ahead  of  Mr.  Pope's  enabling  act  that  the  bill  was  not  called  up 
in  committee  of  the  whole  until  April  3,  1818.  On  that  day 
"The  House  resolved  itself  into  a  committee  of  the  whole  on  the 
bill  to  enable  the  people  of  Illinois  Territory  to  form  a  consti- 
tution and  State  government,  and  for  the  admission  of  the  State 
into  the  Union  on  a  footing  with  the  original  states."  Between 
the  time  the  bill  was  reported  by  Mr.  Pope,  January  23,  and  the 
day  the  committee  of  the  whole  took  up  the  bill  for  discussion, 
April  3,  Mr.  Pope  had  changed  his  mind  about  the  northern 
boundary.  He  discovered  that  if  the  northern  boundary  should 
run  west  along  the  parallel  of  the  southerly  bend  of  the  lake 
that  the  northeast  corner  of  Illinois  would  be  several  miles  from 
Lake  Michigan,  and  there  would  be  no  chance  for  a  lake  port. 
Mr.  Pope  therefore  thought  out  a  change  in  the  boundary  as 
follows :  "Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  River ;  thence 
up  the  same,  and  with  the  line  of  Indiana  to  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  said  state;  thence  east  with  the  line  of  the  same  state 
to  the  middle  of  Lake  Michigan;  thence  north  along  the  mid- 
dle of  said  lake  to  north  latitude  42°  and  30' ;  thence  west  to  the 
middle  of  the  Mississippi  River;  and  thence  down  along  the 
middle  of  that  river  to  its  confluence  with  the  Ohio  River ;  and 
thence  up  the  latter  river  along  its  northwestern  shore  to  the 
place  of  beginning." 

Mr.  Pope  offered  this  amendment  or  change  in  the  northern 
boundary  line.  He  offered  his  reasons  in  a  short  speech  reported 
in  the  Debates  in  Congress,  Volume  VI,  page  173.  They  may  be 
stated  in  brief  as  follows : 

1.  The  object  of  the  change  was  to  gain  a  certain  amount 
of  lake  coast  for  the  State  of  Illinois. 

2.  This  change  would  afford  additional  security  to  the  per- 
petuity of  the  Union,  inasmuch  as  Illinois  would  (by  this  change 
in  the  boundary)  be  connected  (in  commerce)  with  Indiana, 
Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  York. 

3.  The  facility  of  opening  a  canal  between  the  lake  and  the 
headwaters  of  the  Illinois  River  has  been  acknowledged  by  all 
who  have  taken  the  trouble  to  make  a  superficial  survey.  The 
canal  should  lie  and  have  both  terminals  in  the  same  state. 
This  could  not  be  possible  with  the  boundary  as  reported  by  the 
special  committee. 

4.  Mr.  Pope  also  argued  if  Illinois  could  not  have  a  lake  port 
her  commerce  would  seek  its  outlet  through  the  Mississippi 
River  and  this  would  naturally  attach  the  state  to  the  southern 


THE   FIFTEEN    COUNTIES   IN    ILLINOIS   WHEN    ILLINOIS   WAS   ADMITTED 
INTO   THE   UNION   IN   1818 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  329 

states.  In  case,  therefore,  of  a  national  disruption  Illinois  would 
cast  her  fortunes  with  the  south  rather  than  with  the  north. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  objection  to  this  change  in  the 
boundary  which  gave  to  Illinois  Chicago  and  the  mouth  of  Chi- 
cago River.  The  amendment  was  adopted  without  division. 
Mr.  Pope  came  forward  with  another  amendment.  The  original 
draft  as  presented  to  Congress  by  the  special  committee  pro- 
vided that  a  gift  of  five  per  cent  of  the  income  from  the  sale  of 
public  lands  within  the  limits  of  the  state  should  be  given  over 
to  the  state  which  should  use  it  for  the  construction  of  roads 
within  the  state.  Similar  provisions  were  found  in  the  Ohio, 
the  Indiana,  and  the  Mississippi  enabling  acts.  But  Mr.  Pope 
believed  that  the  money  which  the  Government  was  willing  to 
give  Illinois  from  the  sale  of  public  lands  could  be  better  spent 
than  for  public  roads.  His  investigations  had  shown  that  the 
money  given  to  the  other  states  named  had  been  wasted.  That 
the  state  could  not  make  so  good  use  of  this  money  as  the  gen- 
eral government,  so  his  amendment  provided  that  the  general 
government  should  use  two  of  the  five  per  cent  for  the  purpose 
of  building  roads  leading  to  the  state,  and  that  three  of  the  five 
per  cent  should  be  administered  for  the  cause  of  education.  One- 
sixth  of  the  three  per  cent  or  one-half  of  one  per  cent  should  be 
set  aside  for  the  purpose  of  founding  and  maintaining  a  col- 
lege or  university.  He  argued  that  the  universally  acknowledged 
need  in  a  republic  was  education,  and  that  there  were  slight 
resources  in  a  new  country  that  could  be  immediately  converted 
into  the  agencies  of  popular  education.  In  addition  Mr.  Pope 
pointed  out  that  in  Illinois  the  problem  of  road  building  was 
not  a  serious  one  since  the  surfaces  were  generally  level.  He 
thought  the  people  would  build  roads  as  fast  as  they  were  needed, 
but  were  not  situated  so  as  to  maintain  efficient  systems  of  edu- 
cation. The  motion  to  divert  3  per  cent  of  the  income  from  the 
sale  of  public  lands  in  Illinois  to  educational  purposes  and  2  per 
cent  to  the  building  of  roads  leading  to  the  state  passed  without 
division.  Other  minor  amendments  were  agreed  to  by  the  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  and  the  committee  arose. 

This  consideration  of  the  enabling  act  took  place  in  committee 
of  the  whole  on  April  3,  1818.  When  the  committee  arose  the 
matter  was  reported  to  the  House  and  after  a  few  minor  changes 
the  bill  was  ordered  engrossed  as  amended,  read  a  third  time, 
and  passed  April  6.  It  was  then  sent  to  the  Senate.  The  bill 
was  referred  to  the  committee  on  public  lands.  The  committee 
offered  minor  amendments  and  reported  the  bill  to  the  Senate. 
On  the  13th  of  April,  the  bill  was  discussed  in  committee  of 
the  whole.  The  only  serious  objection  was  to  the  assumption 
by  the  petitioners  that  there  were  upwards  of  40,000  people 
in  the  Illinois  Territory.  It  was  eventually  reported  to  the 
Senate   which   added   a   few  amendments   after   which   it   was 


330  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

agreed  to  in  conference,  passed  by  the  Senate,  and  signed  by 
the  President  April  18,  1818. 

Some  Features  of  the  Act 

A  brief  analysis  of  the  several  sections  composing  the 
Enabling  Act  will  be  given. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Territory  of  Illinois  be,  and  they  are  hereby  authorized  to  form 
for  themselves  a  constitution  and  state  government,  and  to 
assume  such  name  as  they  shall  deem  proper ;  and  the  said 
state,  when  formed,  shall  be  admitted  into  the  Union  upon  the 
same  footing  with  the  original  states,  in  all  respects  whatsoever. 

Section  2.  This  section  bounds  the  territory  which  shall  lie 
in  the  jurisdiction  of  the  state  when  formed.  This  boundary 
is  quoted  in  full  on  a  preceding  page,  and  need  not  be  repeated 
here.  The  boundaries  of  the  proposed  state  shall  be  ratified  by 
the  convention.  "The  said  state  shall  have  concurrent  jurisdic- 
tion with  the  State  of  Indiana  on  the  Wabash  River,  so  far  as 
said  river  shall  form  a  common  boundary  to  both,  and  also  con- 
current jurisdiction  on  the  Mississippi  River,  with  any  state 
or  states  to  be  formed  west  thereof,  so  far  as  said  river  shall 
form  a  common  boundary  to  both." 

Section  3.  This  section  determined  the  qualifications  of  those 
who  should  choose  delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention. 
The  requirements  were :  White  male  citizens  of  the  United 
States ;  a  residence  in  the  territory  of  six  months,  in  addition 
any  other  requirements  necessary  to  vote  for  a  member  of  the 
Territorial  Legislature.  These  properly  qualified  electors  were 
authorized  to  elect  delegates  from  their  respective  counties  as 
follows : 

From  Bond 3  delegates     From  Franklin 2  delegates 

From  Madison 3  delegates     From  Pope    3  delegates 

From  St.  Clair 3  delegates     From  Gallatin 2  delegates 

From  Monroe 2  delegates     From  White 2  delegates 

From  Randolph 2  delegates     From  Edwards 2  delegates 

From  Jackson 2  delegates     From  Crawford   __  2  delegates 

From  Johnson 2  delegates     From  Union    2  delegates 

From  Washington.  2  delegates  — 

Total    33  delegates 

The  election  of  delegates  from  the  several  counties  shall  be 
held  on  the  first  Monday  in  July,  1818,  and  the  two  following 
days.  The  election  shall  be  held  in  the  same  form  and  under 
the  same  authority  as  regular  elections  in  the  territory. 

Section  4.  The  duly  elected  members  of  the  convention  were 
authorized  to  meet  at  the  seat  of  government  of  the  said  terri- 
tory on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1818,  and  proceed  to  deter- 
mine, by  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  delegates  elected 
whether  it  is,  or  is  not,  expedient  to  proceed  with  the  work  of 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  331 

forming  a  constitution  and  a  state  government.  If  a  majority 
say  it  is  expedient,  they  shall  proceed  with  the  making  of  the 
constitution:  provided  the  said  constitution  shall  be  republican 
in  form  and  not  repugnant  to  the  ordinance  passed  by  the  Con- 
gress the  13th  of  July,  1787 — except  as  to  the  boundary  of  the 
said  proposed  state.  And,  provided  further,  that  the  enumera- 
tion heretofore  ordered  to  be  taken  by  the  Legislature  of  said 
territory  shall  show  a  population  of  the  proposed  state  of  not 
less  than  40,000  inhabitants. 

Section  5.  "And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  until  the  next 
general  census  shall  be  taken,  the  said  state  shall  be  entitled 
to  one  representative  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States." 

Section  6.  The  following  propositions  were  offered  the  con- 
vention which  if  accepted  by  that  body,  they  shall  be  binding 
on  the  United  States  and  the  State  of  Illinois. 

First.  Section  numbered  16  in  each  township  or  its  equivalent 
shall  be  granted  to  the  state,  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants  of 
such  township,  for  the  use  of  schools. 

Second.  All  salt  springs  within  the  state,  together  with  the 
lands  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  same  shall  be  granted  to  the 
said  state,  for  the  use  of  the  said  state  according  as  the  wisdom 
of  the  Legislature  of  the  said  state  shall  determine.  Provided 
the  Legislature  shall  never  sell  nor  lease  the  same  for  a  longer 
period  than  ten  years  at  any  one  time. 

Third.  Five  per  cent,  of  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the 
lands  lying  within  the  proposed  state,  which  shall  be  sold  by 
Congress,  shall  be  reserved  and  disposed  of  as  follows:  Two- 
fifths  shall  be  held  and  disposed  of  by  Congress  for  the  construc- 
tion of  roads  leading  to  the  state.  The  other  three-fifths  shall 
be  used  by  the  state  for  the  benefit  of  the  schools  when  organized 
— one-sixth  part  of  the  three  per  cent,  shall  be  applied  to  the 
founding-  and  maintaining  of  a  college  or  university. 

Fourth.  One  entire  township  or  thirty-six  sections  shall  be 
set  aside  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  together  with  one 
previously  set  aside  (in  the  Ordinance  of  1787)  for  the  purposes 
of  a  seminary  of  learning.  The  State  Legislature  shall  hold  this 
land  in  trust  to  be  administered  by  the  State  Legislature. 

All  these  gifts  with  the  understanding  that  all  tracts  of  land 
sold  after  January  1,  1819,  by  the  United  States,  lying  within 
the  State  of  Illinois,  shall  be  exempt  from  taxation  of  any  form 
for  a  term  of  five  years  from  the  date  of  the  sale.  And  that 
all  bounty  lands  granted  for  military  services  when  held  by 
the  patentee  or  his  heirs,  shall  be  exempt  from  taxation  for  a 
period  of  three  years  from  the  date  of  the  patent.  Again,  all 
lands  in  Illinois  held  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  residing 
without  the  said  state  shall  not  be  taxed  higher  than  lands  be- 
longing to  citizens  residing  within  the  state. 


332  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Section  7.  All  lands  lying  north  of  Indiana,  and  all  lands 
lying  north  of  northern  boundary  of  Illinois,  as  fixed  by  this 
act,  shall  be  organized  into  and  become  the  Michigan  Territory. 

Commercial  Possibilities 

The  enabling  act  was  signed  by  the  President  April  18,  1818. 
The  news  must  have  reached  Kaskaskia  within  the  next  thirty 
days — at  least  by  May  20.  This  was  surely  a  time  of  great 
rejoicing  at  least  on  the  part  of  those  who  had  worked  so  hard 
and  so  faithfully  in  furthering  the  project  of  admission.  Of 
course  the  intelligencer  was  in  close  touch  with  Mr.  Pope  and 
was  fully  informed  as  to  the  progress  of  the  enabling  act  as 
it  worked  its  way  through  special  House  committee,  committee 
of  the  whole  of  the  House,  the  House  itself,  and  then  in  the 
Senate  it  must  run  the  gauntlet  in  the  committee  on  public 
lands,  the  committee  of  the  whole  of  the  Senate,  and  finally  in 
the  Senate  itself. 

The  champion  of  the  bill  in  the  House  was  of  course  Mr.  Pope, 
but  he  had  warm  supporters  in  the  members  of  the  special 
committee  who  served  with  him — Mr.  Claiborne  of  Tennessee, 
Mr.  Johnson  of  Kentucky,  Mr.  Spencer  of  New  York,  and  Mr. 
Whitman  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Johnson  of  Kentucky  was  an 
especial  friend  of  Edwards  and  Pope,  and  being  a  near  neighbor 
he  desired  to  see  the  young  commonwealth  prosper.  In  the  Sen- 
ate Mr.  Tait  of  Georgia  professed  friendship  for  the  bill,  but 
was  not  at  all  convinced  that  the  population  in  the  territory 
would  reach  the  forty  thousand  mark  as  the  petitioners  for 
statehood  has  so  confidently  assured  Congress  it  would  do.  He 
desired  to  defer  the  consideration  of  the  bill,  but  the  friends  of 
the  bill — Senators  Morrow  of  Ohio,  Talbot  of  Kentucky  and  Bar- 
bour of  Virginia — all  professed  the  greatest  confidence  in  the 
judgment  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Illinois  who  had  stated 
in  their  petition  that  there  were  not  less  than  forty  thousand 
inhabitants  within  the  limits  of  the  proposed  new  state. 

The  news  of  the  final  passage  of  the  bill  and  of  the  President's 
signature  thereto  reached  Kaskaskia,  and  was  published  in  the 
Intelligencer  on  May  20,  1818.  The  rapid  movement  of  the  bill 
through  the  House  and  Senate,  its  intelligent  support  by  Mr. 
Pope  and  other  members  of  Congress  from  the  western  and 
southern  states,  the  wide  discussion  of  the  location,  geography, 
resources,  and  adaptation  to  agriculture  and  commerce,  centered 
the  public  mind  upon  Illinois  as  had  been  the  case  in  the  admis- 
sion of  no  other  state  into  the  Union.  Particularly  had  Mr. 
Pope's  discussion  in  favor  of  the  northward  extension  of  the 
northern  boundary  attracted  the  attention  of  public  men  in  Penn- 
sylvania, New  York  and  all  New  England.  He  had  shown  what 
wonderful  possibilities  there  were  in  an  all  water  route  from  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  333 

embryonic  port  of  Chicago  to  the  greatest  port  on  the  Atlantic. 
At  this  time  the  Erie  Canal  was  well  along  in  its  stages  of  con- 
struction. It  had  been  chartered  in  1817  and  was  being  pushed 
toward  completion.  The  whole  east  was  aflame  with  the  pros- 
pects of  an  enlarged  trade  with  the  west.  A  traveler  through 
the  west  at  this  time  comments  upon  the  evidences  of  luxury 
ghanies.  But  the  transporting  of  these  evidences  into  the  west- 
and  refinement  which  he  found  in  the  region  west  of  the  Alle- 
ern  country  from  the  ports  of  entry  on  the  Atlantic  coast  was 
a  costly  undertaking.  Freight  rates  from  the  Atlantic  coast 
to  Pittsburg  and  Cincinnati  were  from  one  hundred  twenty-five 
to  one  hundred  fifty  dollars  per  ton.  "Most  of  this  stock  was 
transported  over  the  mountains  from  Philadelphia  or  Baltimore. 
In  1820,  three  thousand  wagons  carried  to  Pittsburg,  the  dis- 
tributing center  of  the  West,  nearly  eighteen  million  dollars' 
worth  of  merchandise."  The  commercial  interests  of  the  East 
were  quick  to  see  the  dream  of  Mr.  Pope  of  opening  an  all  water 
route  from  New  York  City  to  the  prospective  City  of  Chicago, 
via  the  Hudson  River,  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Great  Lakes.  Mr. 
Pope  in  his  letters  to  Mr.  Cook  the  editor  of  Intelligencer  stated 
that  the  rapid  movement  of  the  bill  and  the  discussions  had 
awakened  great  interest  in  the  East  about  the  new  West.  He 
thought  there  would  be  an  increasing  emigration  to  Illinois 
within  the  next  two  or  three  years.  His  good  judgment  is  shown 
when  we  consider  the  census  reports  of  1810,  1820,  and  the 
census  taken  by  the  territorial  authority  in  the  summer  of  1818. 
The  census  of  1810  showed  12,282  people  in  Illinois.  In  1820 
the  federal  census  showed  55,162,  an  increase  of  42,000,  or  an 
increase  of  more  than  350  per  cent,  in  ten  years.  The  popula- 
tion taken  in  the  summer  of  1818  showed  34,610.  This  gives  a 
gain  in  two  years,  from  1818  to  1820,  of  20,552  or  an  increase  in 
per  cent,  of  nearly  sixty  in  two  years.  In  1830  the  census  returns 
gave  Illinois  157,445,  again  from  1818  to  1830  of  123,000  (near- 
ly) ,  or  an  increase  in  twelve  years  of  nearly  362  per  cent. 

Mr.  Cook  felt  so  jubilant  over  the  success  of  his  efforts  that 
he  changed  the  name  of  his  paper  from  the  Western  Intelligencer 
to  the  Illinois  Herald,  1814-1816.  The  paper  then  became  the 
Western  Intelligencer,  1816-1818.  It  now  became  the  Illinois 
Intelligencer. 

Electing  Delegates 

The  election  of  delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention  must 
take  place,  according  to  the  enabling  act,  on  the  first  Monday 
in  July  and  the  two  following  days.  This  would  give  a  portion 
of  May  and  all  of  June  for  the  canvass  of  the  candidates  and 
the  discussion  of  the  measures  which  should  be  incorporated  in 
the  new  constitution.  But  the  people  did  not  wait  for  the  passage 
of  the  act,  but  took  it  for  granted  that  it  would  be  passed,  and 


334  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

began  to  discuss  the  public  questions  quite  early  in  the  spring 
of  1818.  The  method  of  discussion  was  chiefly  through  the  Intel- 
ligencer, though  there  were  some  public  discussions  and  private 
conversations.  Among  the  questions  which  attracted  most  atten- 
tion was,  of  course,  that  of  slavery.  Other  questions  were  the 
expediency  or  inexpediency  of  deferring  the  making  of  the  con- 
stitution for  at  least  a  year;  the  question  whether  the  old 
pioneers  should  be  elected  or  whether  the  new  comers  should  sit 
in  the  convention ;  the  equalization  of  taxes ;  shall  lawyers  be 
elected  delegates;  and  shall  ministers  sit  in  the  convention. 

On  the  question  of  slavery  there  were  three  positions — One 
group  was  for  a  constitution  which  would  permit  slavery  just 
as  would  be  found  in  any  slave  state.  One  group  was  bitterly 
opposed  to  slavery  in  any  form  and  would  do  all  in  their  power 
to  prevent  a  slave  clause  from  being  incorporated  in  the  consti- 
tution. A  third  group  was  indifferent  to  the  slavery  question 
They  were  apparently  not  concerned  about  slavery  or  the  inden- 
ture system. 

Mr.  Cook  who  was  still  connected  with  the  Intelligencer  opened 
the  campaign  as  early  as  April,  1818,  by  an  article  signed  "A 
republican."  In  this  article  he  took  strong  grounds  against  slav- 
ery. He  said  the  pro-slavery  people  say  that  a  constitution  recog- 
nizing slavery  would  greatly  stimulate  immigration,  but  he  said 
we  know  that  the  emigration  from  the  eastern  and  northern 
state  has  been  and  will  continue  to  be  far  greater  than  that 
from  the  slave  states.  He  also  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  Ordinance  of  1787  forbids  it.  The  paper  editorially  tried 
to  steer  between  the  rocks  by  saying,  "Whatever  the  people 
shall  dispassionately  say  on  the  subject,  we  will  acquiesce  in 
without  a  murmur,  and  for  that  purpose  we  invite  investigation. 
Our  columns  will  be  open  as  well  to  the  friends  of  the  measure, 
as  to  the  opponents." 

A  writer  signing  his  name  "Caution,"  and  purporting  to  live 
on  Silver  Creek,  St.  Clair  County,  was  an  extreme  opponent  of 
slavery. 

A  writer  from  St.  Clair  County  warned  the  people  not  to  put 
too  much  confidence  in  the  prohibitions  of  slavery  found  in  the 
ordinance,  but  told  them  that  these  prohibitions  were  only  valid 
so  long  as  Illinois  was  a  territory. 

One  of  the  most  polished  and  forceful  statements  of  the  anti- 
slavery  side  of  the  discussion  was  presented  by  a  writer  who 
signed  his  name  "Agis."  The  identity  was  never  fully  estab- 
lished but  from  the  ease  with  which  he  directs  his  thoughts 
through  a  long  contribution  to  the  Intelligencer,  the  writer  was 
supposed  to  be  Edward  Coles  who  at  that  time  was  temporarily 
residing  in  Illinois  keeping  his  eye  on  the  turn  things  might  take 
in  the  matter  of  slavery  in  the  constitution. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  335 

Other  writers  contributed  articles  for  the  Intelligencer  usually 
condemning  the  proposition  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state.  The 
pro-slavery  men  were  too  shrewd  to  enter  into  a  newspaper  war 
in  defense  of  that  "peculiar  institution."  They  were  satisfied 
to  talk  their  side  in  the  gatherings  and  in  public  places. 

Expedient  or  Inexpedient 

A  clause,  Section  4,  in  the  enabling  act  provided  that  the  mem- 
bers of  the  convention  when  first  assembled  should  take  a  vote 
to  determine  the  expediency  or  the  inexpediency  of  forming  a 
constitution  at  the  time,  August,  1818,  set  in  the  act.  If  a  ma- 
jority decide  it  inexpedient  to  form  a  constitution  at  this  time, 
they  should  call  another  election  of  delegates  for  a  convention 
at  a  future  time.  But  if  they  vote  by  a  majority  to  proceed  with 
the  work  in  hand,  then  they  shall  frame  the  constitution  and 
submit  it  to  the  Congress.  This  gave  some  timid  people  a  cue, 
and  upon  it  they  argued  for  a  postponement  of  the  convention 
till  1819.  Their  reasons  were  that  it  was  doubtful  whether  the 
territory  had  the  40,000  required  in  the  enabling  act.  They  were 
also  hoping  that  in  some  way  or  other  the  slavery  question  would 
solve  itself  by  that  time.  Their  argument  was  met  by  those  who 
were  ready  to  face  their  duty  by  saying  that  a  bird  in  the  hand 
was  worth  two  in  the  bush.  Now  was  the  time  to  rid  the  people 
of  the  unbearable  ills  of  territorial  government. 

Another  question  was  freely  discussed — Shall  the  constitution 
be  written  by  the  older  set  who  had  redeemed  the  lands,  or 
by  the  young  lawyers  who  had  flocked  into  the  territory  and 
had  not  borne  any  of  the  heat  or  the  burden  of  the  day.  Some 
of  these  went  so  far  as  to  express  some  doubt  as  to  the  ability 
of  most  of  the  men  to  write  a  constitution.  They  doubted  a 
"sufficiency  of  men  of  talents  and  political  experience  to  form 
a  constitution."  There  was  a  very  strong  dislike  among  the 
older  settlers  against  the  flock  of  young  lawyers  who  had  in 
the  past  two  decades  come  into  the  territory.  At  the  same  time 
there  was  some  doubt  expressed  about  the  propriety  of  choosing 
ministers 'to  sit  in  the  convention.  There  were  many  other  minor 
matters  which  were  discussed  as  to  the  fitness  of  men  to  sit  in 
the  convention. 

Who's  Who  Among  the  Delegates 

As  the  day  approached  for  the  selection  of  delegates  to  the  con- 
vention the  issues  which  had  been  before  the  public  for  the  past 
year  gradually  faded  away  and  the  personality  of  the  candidates 
constituted  the  big  factor  in  making  the  selection.  Some  of  the 
delegates  selected  were  men  of  high  standing  in  the  territory 
while  little  is  known  of  some.    The  reader  might  wish  to  know 


336  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

who  served  in  the  convention  and  what  other  service  he  had  ren- 
dered earlier  and  what  later.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
selected  delegates.  The  counties  are  listed  in  the  order  of  their 
age.  There  were  fifteen  counties  in  the  Territory  of  Illinois  in 
1818,  and  the  enabling  act  assigned  to  three  counties  three  dele- 
gates each,  namely:  St.  Clair,  Madison,  and  Gallatin.  To  each 
of  the  other  twelve  counties,  two  delegates  each,  making  in  all 
thirty-three  delegates. 

St.  Clair  County.  St.  Clair  County  is  the  oldest  county  in  the 
state,  and  it  had  the  distinction  of  furnishing  the  most  con- 
spicuous member  in  the  person  of  the  president  of  the  conven- 
tion.   Its  three  delegates  were: 

Jesse  Burgess  Thomas,  a  native  of  Maryland,  descendant  of 
Lord  Baltimore,  attorney,  speaker  of  the  Indiana  Legislature 
(Lower  House),  delegate  in  Congress  securing  separation  of 
Illinois  from  Indiana  Territory,  one  of  three  federal  judges  of 
Illinois  Territory,  President  of  the  Constitutional  Convention, 
United  States  Senator,  and  author  of  Missouri  Compromise,  died 
at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  1853. 

James  Lemen,  Jr.,  native  born,  Baptist  minister,  of  a  very 
noted  family,  second  American  white  born  in  Illinois,  anti-slavery 
worker,  his  father  in  "pact"  with  Jefferson. 

John  Messenger,  pioneer,  surveyor,  mill-wright,  teacher  of 
Mathematics  in  Rock  Springs  seminary,  author,  served  in  In- 
diana Territorial  Legislature,  speaker  of  first  general  assembly, 
died  near  Belleville,  1846,  a  very  scholarly  gentleman. 

Randolph  County  contained  the  capital  of  the  territory,  the 
town  of  Kaskaskia,  the  most  historic  town  in  early  history  of 
Illinois.  It  furnished  the  delegate  who  had  more  to  do  in  formu- 
lating the  constitution  than  any  other  man. 

Elias  Kent  Kane,  graduate  of  Yale  University,  came  to  Kas- 
kaskia at  twenty  years  of  age,  great  orator,  judge  of  Eastern 
District  of  Illinois,  is  said  to  have  written  much  of  the  constitu- 
tion before  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  United  States  Sena- 
tor, cousin  of  Chancellor  Kent,  and  a  relative  of  Elisha  Kent 
Kane,  the  Arctic  explorer. 

George  Fisher,  doctor,  surgeon  in  Stephenson's  brigade  in  War 
of  1812,  first  sheriff  of  Randolph  county,  served  in  Indiana  Terri- 
torial Legislature,  speaker  in  Illinois  Territorial  Legislature, 
helped  to  organize  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Illinois,  1806,  said  to 
have  been  most  eminent  physician  in  Illinois  at  that  time. 

Madison  County.  At  the  time  of  the  convention  this  county 
included  the  west  part  of  the  state — everything  north  of  the 
present  north  line  of  St.  Clair  and  west  of  a  meridian  a  little 
east  of  Springfield.  It  was  the  largest  county  in  area  and  in 
population — 6,303. 

Benjamin  Stephenson  reached  Illinois  in  1809,  the  first  sheriff 
of  Randolph  County,  was  a  colonel  in  the  War  of  1812,  dele- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  337 

gate  in  Congress,  receiver  of  public  moneys  at  Edwardsville, 
assisted  Auguste  Chouteau  in  treaty  with  Kickapoos,  was  a 
faithful  public  servant. 

Abraham  Prickett  a  pioneer  from  Kentucky  in  1809  was  a 
druggist,  lived  in  Edwardsville,  served  in  the  first  general  assem- 
bly, postmaster  at  Edwardsville,  traded  with  Indians  in  Quincy, 
took  government  contracts. 

Joseph  Borough  was  a  private  in  early  part  of  War  of  1812. 
Later  was  lieutenant  in  ranger  company,  served  in  Lower  and 
Upper  Houses  in  general  assemblies. 

Gallatin  County  contained  the  United  States  salines  and 
Shawneetown,  a  ferry  across  the  Ohio  gave  Shawneetown  much 
importance. 

Leonard  White  a  gallant  soldier  in  War  of  1812,  a  lessee  of 
the  salt  works,  major  in  the  4th  regiment,  later  Senator  in  second 
general  assembly,  government  agent  at  United  States  Salines, 
White  County  named  in  his  honor. 

Adolphus  Frederick  Hubbard  was  an  early  comer  to  Shawnee- 
town; he  was  a  lawyer,  pro-slavery,  member  general  assembly, 
lieutenant-governer  1822-1826,  candidate  for  governor  in  1826. 

Michael  Jones  came  to  Kaskaskia  1804,  register  of  land  office, 
pro-slavery,  excitable  and  passionate,  colonel  in  War  of  1812, 
member  third  general  assembly. 

Johnson  County  at  that  time  included  part  of  Pulaski  and 
part  of  Massac,  Elvira  was  the  county  seat,  Fort  Massac  was  the 
most  noted  place  in  the  county,  smallest  of  the  counties  in  popu- 
lation 767. 

William  McFatridge  has  left  very  little  behind  him  which  his 
friends  have  made  a  matter  of  history,  served  in  the  Legislature 
of  1822-24. 

Hezekiah  West  was  an  early  pioneer  but  little  is  known  of  him. 

Edwards  County  included  all  or  parts  of  eight  counties  from 
the  third  principal  meridian  to  the  Wabash.  This  county  in- 
cluded the  famous  "Marine  Settlement,"  or  the  English  settle- 
ments. The  coming  figure  of  this  county  was  Morris  Birkbeck, 
a  vigorous  opponent  of  slavery. 

Seth  Gard,  the  county's  first  judge,  served  in  Territorial  Legis- 
lature from  1815  to  1818,  he  helped  to  found  the  Town  of 
Palmyra  which  must  have  disappeared  from  the  map. 

Levi  Compton  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  perhaps  the  first 
permanent  settler  in  Wabash  County,  was  a  large  slave  owner 
in  Kentucky,  but  was  an  anti-slavery  supporter,  built  a  fort  in 
1804  called  Compton's  fort,  was  county  treasurer  1815-1819,  an 
important  man  in  his  day. 

White  County  included,  White,  Hamilton  and  north  part  of 
Franklin. 

Willis  Hargrave  was  a  newcomer,  and  an  open  advocate  of 
slavery,  was  county  commissioner  in  1818,  captain  in  War  of 


338  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1812,  inspector  of  the  United  States  salines  at  Equality,  he  was 
"efficient  and  active  in  the  defense  of  the  country  in  War  of 
1812." 

William  McHenry  came  from  Kentucky  to  White  County  in 
1809,  was  captain  in  War  of  1812,  later  served  in  Black  Hawk 
war,  served  in  both  lower  and  upper  houses  of  state  Legislature, 
McHenry  County  was  named  in  his  honor. 

Monroe  County  had  a  population  in  1818  of  1,517  souls.  New 
Design,  the  home  of  the  Lemens,  was  famous  far  and  near,  Belle- 
fontaine,  Harrisville  and  the  Renault  Grant  made  Monroe  known. 
The  Moores,  Piggotts,  Lemens  and  Whitesides  were  household 
names  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Caldwell  Cairns  was  a  doctor  of  wide  renown,  he  came  in 
1800  from  Pennsylvania,  was  fond  of  agriculture,  lived  in  the 
"Bottoms,"  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  he  was  an  active  member 
of  the  convention,  was  the  father-in-law  of  Gen.  James  Semple. 

Enoch  Moore  was  born  in  the  old  block  house  at  Bellefon- 
taine,  1782,  one  of  the  first  American  children  born  in  Illinois, 
was  a  ranger,  clerk  of  the  court,  judge,  member  of  the  second 
general  assembly,  died  1848. 

Pope  County  lay  on  the  Ohio  River  and  contained  a  ferry  prior 
to  1800,  it  was  the  crossing  point  for  immigrants  from  Tennessee 
and  western  Kentucky,  it  had  2,069  inhabitants  in  1818,  in  1820, 
2,610.    Good  trails  led  from  Golconda  to  Kaskaskia. 

Samuel  O'Melveny  engaged  in  the  flat-boat  business  on  the 
Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  a  popular  Irishman,  was  county  treas- 
urer of  Pope  in  1816,  later  removed  to  Randolph  County,  held 
seat  in  general  assembly  from  Union  County  in  1820-22. 

Hamlet  Ferguson  has  left  no  record  behind.  Reynolds  says  he 
filled  various  offices  and  sat  in  the  Constitutional  Convention. 
Hamlet  Ferguson  is.  listed  as  a  major  in  the  Third  Regiment, 
Illinois  Militia,  Col.  Isaac  White  commanding. 

Jackson  County  has  been  the  scene  of  much  Illinois  history. 
Conrad  Will  brought  this  county  before  the  public  in  several 
ways.     So  did  John  A.  Logan. 

Conrad  Will  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  a  physician  by 
profession,  a  tanner,  a  manufacturer  of  salt,  county  commis- 
sioner, member  of  Constitutional  Convention.  Served  many 
years  in  the  General  Assembly. 

James  Hall,  Jr.  There  seems  to  be  no  record  of  Mr.  Hall  as 
a  private  citizen  or  as  a  public  servant.  It  is  reported  he  was 
one  of  the  five  lawyers  in  the  convention. 

Crawford  County  lay  along  the  east  side  of  the  state  north 
of  the  parallel  of  Olney  and  east  of  the  meridian  of  Vandalia. 
Its  population  was  chiefly  in  the  southeast  corner.  It  contained 
about  one-third  of  the  area  of  the  state. 

Edward  N.  Cullom  was  a  prominent  early  settler  from  Ken- 
tucky, was  a  large  land  owner,  built  flat-boats  and  marketed 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  339 

his  produce  in  New  Orleans,  bought  more  land  and  became  rich, 
lost  it  all  in  helping  his  friends. 

Joseph  Kitchell  lived  near  the  old  Town  of  Palestine,  his 
brother  was  an  attorney-general  of  Illinois,  Joseph  was  a  promi- 
nent lawyer,  his  father-in-law  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
served  in  Territorial  Legislature,  his  nephew,  J.  W.  Kitchell  of 
Pana,  gave  the  state  the  only  known  copy  of  the  Journal  of  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Constitutional  Convention. 

Bond  County  was  a  long,  narrow  strip  reaching  from  the  pres- 
ent Bond  County  to  the  north  line  of  the  state.  The  strip  was 
a  little  wider  than  the  present  county.  Its  population  was  mostly 
in  the  south  portion. 

Thomas  Kirkpatrick  lived  near  the  present  City  of  Green- 
ville, was  among  the  first  commissioners,  he  was  a  first  lieu- 
tenant in  the  Edwardsville  Militia,  built  a  flouring  and  saw  mills, 
his  home  was  the  county  seat  a  short  time  for  Madison  County, 
in  1812. 

Samuel  G.  Morse  was  also  an  early  settler  in  Bond  County. 
He  was  the  first  sheriff,  was  a  singing  teacher. 

Union  County  included  also  what  is  now  Alexander  County, 
seems  not  to  have  sent  its  most  prominent  people  to  the  conven- 
tion. 

William  Eckols  has  left  no  history  of  himself  and  did  not 
take  a  very  important  part  in  the  convention,  seems  to  have 
been  against  slavery  and  that  is  to  his  credit. 

John  Whittaker  was  the  other  delegate,  an  early  settler,  mem- 
ber of  grand  jury  in  1818,  served  in  General  Assembly  in 
1824-26. 

Washington  County  was  west  of  Edwards,  and  east  of  St. 
Clair  there  were  some  German  families  in  this  county  as  early 
as  1818. 

Andrew  Bankson  was  a  very  active  member  of  the  conven- 
tion, lived  first  in  St.  Clair  County,  and  later  in  Washington, 
was  colonel  in  militia,  served  in  General  Assembly,  was  anti- 
slavery. 

John  K.  Mangham  was  the  colleague  of  Mr.  Bankson,  was 
delayed  one  day  in  reaching  convention,  died  Tuesday,  August 
11,  1818. 

Franklin  County  included  also  what  is  now  Williamson  County. 
It  was  the  last  county  created  prior  to  the  convention. 

Thomas  Roberts  was  an  early  settler,  held  several  military 
offices,  seemed  to  be  anti-slavery,  moved  to  Union  County  and 
elected  to  the  General  Assembly. 

Isham  Harrison  has  not  left  any  record  behind  him.  He  was 
elected  probably  because  there  was  not  many  aspirants  from 
the  county  as  this  county  was  the  last  county  organized  prior 
to  the  convention. 

The  convention  was  due  to  assemble  Monday,  August  3,  1818. 


340  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

On  that  day  all  the  delegates  appeared  except  the  two  from 
Jackson  County  and  the  two  from  Washington.  Jesse  B.  Thomas 
was  made  the  permanent  chairman,  William  C.  Greenup  was 
made  the  permanent  secretary,  and  Ezra  Owen  was  chosen  ser- 
geant-at-arms. 

Occupations 

It  will  be  found  very  interesting  and  profitable  to  recall  the 
composition  of  the  convention  relative  to  the  occupations  of  the 
delegates.  It  has  been  generally  thought  that  the  men  who  made 
the  constitution  were  men  who  had  had  little  training  in  political 
life,  that  they  were  mostly  farmers  and  hunters,  woodsmen  and 
Indian  fighters.  There  were  such  men  in  the  convention.  They 
were  men  with  a  world  of  experience  and  experience  is  very 
valuable.  But  there  were  men  of  large  caliber  in  the  conven- 
tion, lawyers,  doctors,  business  men,  men  who  were  quite  famil- 
iar with  constitutional  government  as  it  had  been  worked  out 
in  the  older  American  states.  There  were  men  who  had  attended 
the  best  colleges  of  that  day  and  were  familiar  with  the  best 
political  theories  of  the  times.  And  more  than  all,  these  men 
knew  what  they  wanted  and  what  they  needed  and  were  frank 
in  expressing  their  wants  and  needs  in  the  fundamental  law  of 
the  state  which  their  sacrifices  had  founded. 

In  making  the  following  classification  the  farmer  group  may 
seem  large  in  comparison  with  the  other  groups,  but  many  of 
these  farmers  were  also  engaged  in  other  lines  of  work. 

Lawyers  and  Judges  Thos.  Kirkpatrick 

Jesse  B.  Thomas  Leonard  White 

Elias  K  Kane  Teachers 

James  Hall  c  ,  ~,    ,.. 

Adolphus  F.  Hubbard  ^"t^  M°°re 

Joseph  Kitchell  John  Messenger 


Ministers 
James  Lemen,  Jr. 


Officials 
Benj.  Stephenson 
Michael  Jones  Merchant 

Willis  Hargrave  Abraham  Prickett 
Wm.  McHenry  _  _ 

Enoch  Moore  Farmers,  Etc. 

Levi  Compton 

Doctors  Joseph  Borough 

Caldwell  Cairns  Seth  Gard 

George  Fisher  Andrew  Bankson 

Conrad  Will  *  Enoch  Moore 

Wm.  McFatridge 

Manufacturers  Hezekiah  West 

*Jesse  B.  Thomas  *Caldwell  Cairn 

*  Conrad  Will  *John  Whittaker 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  341 

Wm.  Echols  Thomas  Roberts 

John  K.  Mangham  Isham  Harrison 

Samuel  O'Melveny  Edward  N.  Cullom 

Hamlet  Ferguson 
*  Counted  second  time 

Military  Service 

It  is  a  matter  of  pride  too,  to  .all  of  us  that  we  find  that  so 
many  of  these  delegates  were  loyal  Americans.  The  following 
is  the  record  of  military  service  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to 
find  it.  This  service  was  chiefly  in  the  War  of  1812,  though  in 
one  or  two  instances  it  was  later. 

Colonels — Benjamin  Stephenson,  Andrew  Bankson,  Michael 
Jones. 

Majors — Wm.  McHenry,  Willis  Hargrave,  Leonard  White. 

Captains — Hamlet  Ferguson,  Thomas  Roberts,  Enoch  Fisher. 

Surgeon — George  Fisher. 

First  Lieutenants — Thomas  Kirkpatrick,  Joseph  Borough. 

Ensign — John  Whittaker. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  many  of  the  convention  men  not 
enumerated  as  officers  took  an  active  part  in  the  defense  of 
their  communities,  in  building  forts  and  blockhouses,  and  in 
guarding  the  most  exposed  posts  of  the  country  while  the  war 
was  in  progress. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  CONVENTION 

Journal — Population — Death  of  Mr.  Mangham — Appor- 
tionment— The  Capital — Bill  of  Rights — The  Consti- 
tution— Election 

The  Enabling  Act  designated  the  first  Monday  in  August  as 
the  day  on  which  the  convention  should  meet.  On  that  day  the 
delegates  from  thirteen  of  the  counties  appeared  with  certifi- 
cates of  their  election. 

Journal  of  the  Convention 

Monday,  August  3,  1818 

At  a  convention  begun  and  held  at  the  Town  of  Kaskaskia  on 
Monday  the  third  day  of  August,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighteen,  for  the  purpose  of  form- 
ing a  constitution  and  state  government  pursuant  to  the  Act 
of  Congress  passed  on  the  18th  of  April,  1818,  entitled  "An 
Act  to  enable  the  people  of  the  Illinois  Territory  to  form  a  con- 
stitution and  state  government,  and  for  the  admission  of  such 
state  into  the  Union  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  original  states." 
A  majority  of  representatives  (delegates)  appearing,  Jesse  B. 
Thomas  was  chosen  president,  I.  V.  W.  Varick,  secretary,  and 
Ezra  Owen,  door-keeper,  pro  tern. 

The  roll  of  the  delegates  from  the  several  counties  was  then 
called  and  twenty-nine  answered  to  their  names.  The  delegates 
from  Jackson,  Conrad  Will  and  James  Hall,  Jr.,  and  Andrew 
Bankson  and  John  K.  Mangham  from  Washington  did  not  report 
until  Tuesday,  August  3d.  It  was  now  ordered  that  the  conven- 
tion proceed  to  the  election  of  permanent  officers,  whereupon 
Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  elected  president,  William  G.  Greenup,  sec- 
retary, and  Ezra  Owen,  sergeant-at-arms.  The  president  made 
a  very  short  inaugural  address.  A  committee  of  three,  Messrs. 
Kane,  Stephenson  and  Hargrave,  was  appointed  to  examine  the 
credentials  of  the  members  of  the  convention ;  another  commit- 
tee of  three,  Messrs.  Messenger,  Fisher  and  Cullom,  was  ap- 
pointed to  formulate  a  set  of  rules  which  should  govern  the 
deliberations  of  the  convention  during  the  session ;  and  still 
another  committee  of  three  to  secure  the  services  of  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel  who  should  open  the  session  on  the  morrow  with 
prayer.  Messrs.  Moore,  Gard  and  Hubbard  were  named  and 
they  secured  the  services  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mitchell  who  opened 

342 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  343 

the  session  on  August  the  4th  with  prayer.  Dr.  John  Snyder 
says  that  this  one  prayer  seems  to  have  been  considered  suffi- 
cient for  the  entire  sitting  of  the  convention,  as  there  is  no 
record  of  there  having  been  any  more  prayers  offered. 

Tuesday,  August  4,  1818 
On  the  second  day  at  9  o'clock  the  session  opened.  The  dele- 
gates from  Jackson  and  Washington  counties  presented  their 
certificates  of  election  and  were  sworn  in.  On  motion  a  com- 
mittee of  three,  Kane,  Kitchell  and  Cairns,  was  named  to  exam- 
ine the  returns  of  the  census  as  made  to  the  secretary  of  the 
territory  and  report  to  the  convention.  There  was  one  census 
enumerator  appointed  in  each  county  and  the  returns  were  to 
be  made  to  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  the  territory. 

Population 

Wednesday,  August  5,  1818 
On  Wednesday,  August  5th,  the  Committee  on  Credentials 
reported  that  the  sitting  members  were  all  entitled  to  serve  in 
the  convention  from  the  several  counties.  Mr.  Kane  from  the 
committee  on  the  census  returns  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of 
the  territory  made  the  following  report: 

From  the  County  of  Bond 1,398 

From  the  County  of  Madison   6,303 

From  the  County  of  St.  Clair 5,039 

From  the  County  of  Washington 1,819 

From  the  County  of  Monroe 1,517 

From  the  County  of  Randolph   2,974 

From  the  County  of  Jackson    1,619 

From  the  County  of  Johnson    767 

From  the  County  of  Union   2,709 

From  the  County  of  Pope   2,069 

From  the  County  of  Franklin 1,281 

From  the  County  of  Gallatin    3,849 

From  the  County  of  White   3,832 

From  the  County  of  Edwards 2,243 

From  the  County  of  Crawford 2,839 

Total 40,258 

The  report  from  the  secretary's  office  was  accepted  as  the 
population  of  the  Territory  of  Illinois  and  authority  to  make  a 
constitution  was  assumed  as  provided  by  the  Enabling  Act.  A 
set  of  rules  governing  the  conduct  of  business  during  the  sessions 
was  adopted. 

The  Enabling  Act  contained  a  rather  queer  proposition ;  it  was 
this.  The  convention  should  upon  assembling  determine  by  a 
majority  vote  whether  in  the  judgment  of  the  convention  it  was 
or  was  not  expedient  to  proceed  with  the  making  of  a  consti- 


344  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tution  at  this  time.  It  probably  was  the  thought  in  the  minds 
of  Congress  that  if,  when  the  convention  assembled,  it  should 
turn  out  that  there  were  actually  fewer  than  40,000  inhabitants 
in  the  territory,  there  might  be  the  general  feeling  that  it  would 
be  better  to  wait  till  the  summer  of  1819  to  proceed  with  the 
work  of  constitution  making.  Now  that  the  report  showed  that 
there  were  more  than  forty  thousand  inhabitants  there  were 
few  who  felt  they  would  be  justified  in  deferring  the  work  of 
making  a  constitution.  Upon  taking  a  vote  on  the  question  of 
expediency,  it  was  determined  affirmatively.  The  records  do  not 
give  the  vote  and  it  is  not  known  just  how  strong  the  sentiment 
in  favor  of  deferring  the  making  the  constitution  was. 

A  committee  of  fifteen,  one  from  each  county,  was  appointed 
to  frame  and  report  to  the  convention  a  constitution  for  the 
people  of  the  Illinois  Territory.  The  committee  named  was: 
White,  Kane,  Prickett,  Lemen,  Cairns,  Cullom,  Hargrave,  Comp- 
ton,  Roberts,  Kirkpatrick,  Bankson,  Hall,  West,  Eckols  and 
O'Melveny.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  contract  with  Messrs. 
Berry  and  Blackwell  for  the  printing  of  the  Journal  of  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Convention.  Berry  and  Blackwell  were  at  that 
time  editors  and  proprietors  of  the  Intelligencer  the  only  paper 
published  in  Illinois  at  the  time.  (The  Illinois  Immigrant  was 
founded  in  the  summer  of  1818.  It  was  published  at  Shawnee- 
town  by  Henry  Eddy  and  Peter  Kimmel.) 

Thursday,  August  6,  1818 

The  convention  met  at  9  o'clock.  The  convention  proceeded  to 
consider  the  report  of  the  committee  on  rules  for  the  govern- 
ment of  procedure  in  the  work  of  the  convention.  These  were 
in  general  such  rules  as  might  be  found  in  any  hand  book  on 
parliamentary  procedure.  A  few  interesting  rules  will  be  given : 
"In  case  of  any  disturbance  as  disorderly  conduct  in  the  galleries 
or  lobby,  the  president  shall  have  power  to  order  the  same  to 
be  cleared."  Just  what  building  in  Kaskaskia  had  a  gallery  or 
a  lobby  is  a  question  no  one  has  been  able  to  answer. 

"No  person  shall  be  permitted  to  smoke  tobacco  in  the  con- 
vention while  in  session. 

"There  shall  be  no  reading  of  newspapers  or  any  other  docu- 
ments, that  do  not  immediately  concern  the  business  for  which 
we  are  convened." 

The  Committee  on  Printing  was  ordered  to  have  thirty-three 
copies  of  the  rules  printed  at  expense  of  the  individual  members, 
and  thirty-three  copies  of  the  constitution  when  completed  at 
public  expense.  Several  minor  motions  were  made  and  all 
deferred  to  the  morrow.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Kitchell  the  Com- 
mittee on  Printing  was  ordered  to  contract  for  the  printing  of 
500  copies  of  the  proceedings  of  the  convention.  The  vote  on 
this  motion  was  deferred  till  the  morrow. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  345 

Friday,  August  7,  1818 

The  motion  to  order  500  copies  of  the  proceedings  printed 
was  decided  in  the  negative. 

On  this  day  a  very  important  matter  came  before  the  con- 
vention. "Mr.  Kane  presented  two  petitions  signed  by  sundry 
inhabitants  of  Randolph  County,  one  praying  that  this  conven- 
tion shall  declare  in  the  constitution  to  be  formed  that  the  moral 
law  is  the  basis  of  its  structure,  and  acknowledge  therein  an 
universal  parent."  The  other  praying  that  this  convention  may 
declare  the  scriptures  to  be  the  word  of  God,  and  that  the 
constitution  is  founded  upon  the  same;  which  said  petitions 
were  received  and  read.  They  were  referred  to  a  committee 
which  never  reported.  This  group  of  people  that  presented  these 
petitions  were  known  as  covenanter  Presbyterians  and  were  un- 
der the  leadership  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wiley. 

Saturday,  August  8,  1818 
There  was  no  business  transacted  this  day,  and  the  conven- 
tion adjourned  till  Monday,  August  10,  9  o'clock,  a.  m. 

Monday,  August  10,  1818 
Mr.  Cullom  obtained  leave  to  lay  before  the  convention  a 
draft  of  additional  rules  for  the  regulation  of  the  work  of 
the  convention.  They  were  laid  on  the  table  till  the  morrow. 
The  convention  then  adjourned  till  Tuesday,  August  11,  9 
o'clock,  a.  m. 

Death  of  Mr.  Mangham 

Tuesday,  August  11,  1818 
Upon  the  assembling  of  the  convention,  Mr.  Bankson  of  Wash- 
ington County,  announced  the  death  of  his  colleague,  Mr.  John 
K.  Mangham,  at  1  o'clock  a.  m.,  of  that  day.  A  committee, 
Messrs.  White,  Bankson  and  Morse,  was  appointed  to  have 
charge  of  the  funeral  services,  and  the  convention  adjourned 
to  the  morrow. 

Wednesday,  August  12,  1818 
A  motion  to  adopt  additional  rules  for  the  convention  was 
lost.  Mr.  Kitchell  from  the  Committee  on  Printing,  presented 
the  offer  of  the  public  printers,  Blackwell  and  Berry  for  print- 
ign  and  binding  copies  of  the  Journal  of  the  convention.  It 
was  as  follows : 

For  composing  each  page $1.00 

Twenty  quires  paper 6.00 

Press  work 1.00 

Folding  and  stitching .06 

On  motion  500  copies  of  the  constitution  were  ordered 
printed. 


346  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Mr.  White,  chairman  of  the  committee  of  fifteen  appointed 
to  present  a  draft  of  the  constitution  as  prepared  by  the  com- 
mittee reported.  The  draft  in  manuscript  form  was  then  laid 
on  the  secretary's  table,  and  later  was  read. 

The  document  consisted  of: 

A  preamble. 

Article  1  with  two  sections  separating  the  powers  into  three 
distinct  parts. 

Article  2  with  thirty-five  sections  vests  the  legislative  author- 
ity in  a  General  Assembly  consisting  of  two  houses,  an  upper  or 
senate,  and  a  lower  or  house  of  representatives. 

Article  3  with  sixteen  sections  vests  the  executive  power  in 
the  governor. 

Article  4  with  eight  sections  vests  the  judicial  power  in  one 
supreme  court,  and  in  such  inferior  courts  as  the  Legislature 
shall,  from  time  to  time,  order  and  establish. 

Article  5  with  five  sections  creates  the  militia  of  the  state 
and  deals  with  its  organization. 

Article  6  with  one  section  says :  "There  shall  be  neither  slav- 
ery nor  involuntary  servitude  in  this  state  otherwise  than  for 
the  punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been 
convicted,"  etc. 

Article  7  with  one  section  provides  for  amending  the  consti- 
tution. 

Article  8  with  twenty-two  sections  constitutes  the  Bill  of 
Rights. 

An  ordinance  accepting  the  propositions,  made  by  the  Con- 
gress in  the  Enabling  Act,  in  the  form  of  gifts  to  the  state 
as  follows : 

First.  Section  numbered  16  in  every  township  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  schools  of  that  township. 

Second.  All  salt  springs  within  the  state  and  the  reserva- 
tions of  land  attached  thereto  to  be  held  by  the  state  but  not 
to  be  sold  without  the  consent  of  Congress. 

Third.  Five  per  cent  of  the  income  from  the  sale  of  public 
lands  within  the  state  to  be  used — 2  per  cent  of  such  sales  to 
be  expended  by  the  general  government  for  the  construction  of 
roads  leading  to  the  state  and  3  per  cent  to  be  used  by  the  state 
for  educational  purposes. 

Fourth.  The  gift  of  an  entire  township  to  be  used  in  found- 
ing a  seminary  of  learning. 

To  these  acceptances  there  was  attached  a  pledge  that  the 
state  would  exempt  from  taxation  for  a  period  of  five  years 
all  public  lands  in  Illinois  sold  after  January  1,  1819.  And 
furthermore  that  lands  owned  by  non-residenters  shall  never 
be  taxed  higher  than  lands  owned  by  those  living  in  the  state. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  347 

Thursday,  August  13,  1818 
On  this  day  of  the  work  of  modifying  and  changing  the  con- 
stitution as  handed  in  by  the  committee,  began.  On  motion 
Articles  1  and  2  and  the  first  seven  sections  of  Article  3  were 
taken  up  for  discussion.  Article  1  was  accepted  with  one  slight 
change  in  each  of  its  two  sections.  Article  2  was  adopted  with 
changes  in  Section  18  as  to  salaries  of  the  state  officers.  Slight 
changes  in  other  sections.  Section  35,  which  dealt  with  the 
organizing  of  new  counties  and  put  limitations  on  the  removal 
of  the  capital  of  the  state  was  struck  out  entirely.  Article  3,  the 
first  seven  sections  were  accepted  with  the  filling  in  of  the  proper 
blanks  as  to  length  of  terms,  length  of  residence,  etc. 

Friday,  August  14,  1818 

The  convention  declined  to  order  an  election  to  fill  the  place 
made  vacant  by  the  death  of  delegate  John  K.  Mangham.  The 
thought  was  that  a  new  member  could  not  be  elected  and  seated 
before  most  of  the  work  of  the  convention  would  be  done.  Sec- 
tions 8,  9,  10,  of  Article  3  were  adopted.  Section  11  provided 
that  the  sheriff  and  coroner  should  be  elected  by  the  qualified 
voters  in  each  county  for  a  period  of  two  years.  Those  were  the 
only  county  officers  the  people  might  vote  for.  Section  15  of 
Article  3  makes  the  governor  and  the  Supreme  Court  a  sort 
of  reviewing  body  on  laws.  Bills  passing  the  two  houses  are 
presented  to  the  governor  with  the  Supreme  Court  shall  ratify 
or  reject  all  bills. 

Article  4  was  adopted  with  little  or  no  objection.  Articles  5 
and  7  and  part  of  8  were  adopted  with  slight  changes.  Article 
6  was  reserved  for  further  discussion. 

Apportionment 

Saturday,  August  15,  1818 
The  balance  of  Article  8  and  the  ordinance  were  adopted.  A 
committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  consider  whether  there  were 
other  articles  which  should  be  added  to  the  constitution.  The 
members  of  this  committee  were  Kitchell,  Hubbard,  Borough, 
Fisher,  Messenger.  The  convention  then  adjourned  till  2  o'clock 
that  afternoon. 

Mr.  Hubbard  offered  a  scheme  of  apportionment  of  members 
of  the  General  Assembly,  and  also  suggested  dates  for  the  elec- 
tions, etc.  The  following  apportionment  of  members  followed 
the  third  reading: 

Madison  County 1  senator,  3  representatives 

Bond  County 1  senator,  1  representative 

Washington  County 1  senator,  1  representative 

St.  Clair  County 1  senator,  3  representatives 

Monroe   County 1  senator,  1  representative 


348  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Randolph  County 1  senator,  2  representatives 

Jackson  County 1  senator,  1  representative 

Union  County 1  senator,  2  representatives 

Pope  County 1  senator,  2  representatives 

Johnson  County 1  senator,  1  representative 

Franklin   County 1  senator,  1  representative 

Gallatin  County 1  senator,  3  representatives 

White  County 1  senator,  3  representatives 

Edwards  County 1  senator,  2  representatives 

Crawford  County 1  senator,  2  representatives 

Total — 14  senators,  28  representatives. 
The  committee  recommended  that  the  dates  of  elections  remain 
the  same  as  they  now  are  under  the  territorial  laws. 

The  report  was  received,  read,  and  adopted,  and  the  conven- 
tion adjourned  till  Monday,  next,  at  9  o'clock. 

Monday,  August  17,  1818 
The  convention  had  now  gone  over  the  draft  of  the  constitu- 
tion and  had  made  changes  here  and  there  with  the  exception 
of  Article  6  which  was  the  article  dealing  with  slavery.  It 
was  now  ordered  that  the  convention  go  over  the  entire  draft 
section  by  section  for  second  reading.  This  the  convention  did. 
The  most  important  change  occurred  in  Section  15  in  Article 
3.  In  the  original  draft  the  veto  power  was  located  in  the  gov- 
ernor and  the  Supreme  Court.  In  the  first  reading,  the  section 
was  changed  and  the  power  was  given  to  the  governor  alone, 
but  in  the  second  reading  the  convention  reverted  to  the  original 
draft.  This  provided  that  when  bills  have  passed  both  houses 
they  shall  be  presented  to  the  governor  who  together  with  the 
Supreme  Court  shall  constitute  a  council  of  revision  who  shall 
pass  upon  the  proposed  law.  If  a  majority  of  the  council  shall 
deem  the  law  worthy  they  may  sign  it,  and  if  the  majority 
deem  it  improper  they  shall  veto  it.  The  article  provided  that 
the  two  houses  should  have  the  right  to  pass  the  bill  over  the 
veto,  but  the  vote  need  be  only  a  majority  of  those  elected  to 
each  house.    Articles  4  and  5  were  adopted  on  this  day. 

Tuesday,  August  18,  1818 
On  this  day  the  section  providing  for  apportionment  of  sena- 
tors and  representatives  was  put  in  final  form  as  found  under 
date  of  Saturday,  August  15th.  Then  the  sixth  article  was  taken 
up  and  the  first  lines  changed  to  read  "neither  slavery  nor  invol- 
untary servitude  shall  be  introduced  into  this  state  otherwise 
than  for  the  punishment  of  crimes,"  etc.  A  second  section 
was  added  providing  that  no  person  bound  to  labor  in  any  other 
state  shall  be  hired  to  labor  in  this  state  except  within  the 
tract  reserved  for  the  salt  works  near  Shawneetown,  nor  there 
for  a  longer  period  than  one  year.    When  the  motion  was  put 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  349 

in  the  second  reading  of  Section  1,  Article  6,  the  vote  stood  as 
follows : 

For  the  adoption — Borough,  Cairns,  Cullom,  Fisher,  Hall, 
Harrison,  Hubbard,  Jones,  Kane,  Kitchell,  Messenger,  Morse, 
O'Melveny,  Prickett,  Stephenson,  Will  and  White — 17. 

Those  against  the  adoption — Bankson,  Compton,  Eckols,  Fer- 
guson, Hargrave,  Kirkpatrick,  Lemen,  McFatridge,  McHenry, 
Moore,  Roberts,  West  and  Whittaker — 14.  The  second  section 
was  then  adopted. 

Article  8,  section  8,  in  the  original  draft  guaranteed  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  old  villages  their  commons.  This  was  modified 
in  the  second  reading  by  adding  that  this  guarantee  does  not 
apply  to  Cahokia  nor  to  Prairie  du  Pont.  Section  15  was 
amended  to  provide  that  imprisonment  for  debt  was  prohibited 
if  one  had  delivered  up  his  estate  for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors. 

Mr.  Hubbard  then  reported  a  schedule  which  was  read  and 
considered  the  first  time.  This  schedule  provided  for  the  trans- 
fer of  the  machinery  of  government  from  the  Territory  to  the 
State.  This  schedule  as  finally  adopted  has  fourteen  sections 
and  was  not  a  matter  of  contention  in  the  convention. 

Mr.  Hubbard  from  the  committee  on  "additional  articles  or 
sections,"  laid  before  the  convention  offers  of  donations  of 
lands  upon  which  the  new  capital  of  the  state  might  be  erected. 
These  offers  came  from  persons  interested  in  Pope's  Bluff,  Hill's 
Ferry,  and  Covington.  These  offers  were  of  sites  along  the 
Kaskaskia  River. 

Wednesday,  August  19,  1818 

On  this  day  the  Preamble  and  Articles  1  and  2  were  ordered 
engrossed  and  read  the  third  time. 

The  date  of  the  election  of  the  first  governor  was  set  for  the 
first  Thursday  in  September.  After  the  first  election  of  the 
governor  the  date  was  fixed  for  the  first  Monday  in  August. 
The  first  governor's  term  shall  end  the  first  Monday  in  Decem- 
ber and  at  the  end  of  each  four  years  thereafter. 

The  engrossed  preamble  and  Articles  1  and  2  were  read  and 
passed. 

The  first  seven  sections  of  Article  3  were  read  and  passed. 
Mr.  White  offered  a  new  section  to  Article  6,  the  slavery  article. 
This  section  provided  for  a  fulfillment  of  all  contracts  or  inden- 
tures heretofore  existing. 

The  Capital 

Thursday,  August  20,  1818 
The  first  thing  which  came  before  the  convention  this  day  was 
a  motion  by  Mr.  Kitchell  that  it  was  expedient  at  this  time  to 
move  the  capital  from  Kaskaskia.     Then  Mr.  Gard  moved  that 


350  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  view  the  sites  that  had  been 
offered  on  the  Kaskaskia  River  and  to  report  the  most  suitable 
site  for  the  seat  of  government.  The  ball  had  been  set  rolling 
and  Mr.  Bankson  moved  that  the  Town  of  Covington  be  accepted 
as  the  seat  of  government.  Mr.  Kane  offered  a  resolution  that 
Kaskaskia  be  made  the  capital  for  five  years,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  five  years  that  the  capital  be  moved  to  Pope's  Bluff.  Mr. 
Prickett  moved  the  capital  be  fixed  at  Hill's  Ferry,  or  Fredonia. 
Mr.  Hubbard  resolved  that  a  committee  survey  the  whole  state 
and  report  the  same  to  the  first  session  of  the  General  Assembly. 
All  of  these  motions  and  resolutions  were  decided  in  the  negative. 

The  convention  now  took  up  the  real  work  of  making  the  con- 
stitution. It  proceeded  to  consider  the  remainder  of  Arti- 
cle 3  from  the  eighth  section  to  the  close  of  the  article.  These 
sections  were  adopted  with  only  a  few  changes.  The  convention 
proceeded  to  the  third  reading  of  Articles  4,  5,  6  and  7  as 
amended  and  engrossed.  In  Section  5  of  Article  4  the  salary 
of  governor  and  other  officers  was  fixed  at  not  to  exceed  $1,000. 
Carried  by  a  vote  of  17  to  14. 

Sections  1,  2,  3,  4,  5  of  Article  5  were  accepted.  Section  6 
provided  for  exemption  from  arrest  of  the  militia  while  at  mus- 
ter elections  of  officers,  and  in  going  and  coming  from  the  same, 
except  for  treason,  felony,  or  breach  of  the  peace. 

In  the  afternoon  of  this  day  the  convention  took  up  Articles  6 
and  7.  Mr.  Card  moved  to  strike  out  Section  2  of  Article  6 
but  his  motion  was  lost  10  to  21.  The  third  section  of  Article  6 
was  amended  so  as  to  validate  contracts  of  service  made  under 
territorial  laws,  but  children  born  of  indentured  parents  shall 
be  free,  males  at  twenty-one  and  females  at  eighteen  years 
of  age. 

Bill  of  Rights 

Article  8,  the  bill  of  rights,  was  next  considered.  The  first 
seven  sections  were  adopted  as  given  in  second  reading.  The 
eighth  section  was  amended  with  a  proviso  that  the  General 
Assembly  shall  have  the  right  to  grant  the  same  privileges  to 
Cahokia  and  Prairie  du  Pont  as  the  bill  of  rights  guarantees 
to  other  villages  and  towns.  Section  15  was  amended  so  as  to 
secure  freedom  from  imprisonment  for  debt  unless  the  debtor 
refuses  to  deliver  up  his  estate,  etc.  The  remaining  sections 
were  then  passed. 

Mr.  Roberts  then  introduced  two  new  sections  to  be  added  to 
the  bill  of  rights.  Section  23  asserted  the  freedom  of  the  press 
as  "one  of  the  invaluable  rights  of  man,  and  every  citizen  may 
freely  speak,  write,  and  print  on  any  subject,  being  responsible 
for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty." 

Section  24  provided  that  the  press  shall  be  protected  in  the 
publication  of  the  conduct  of  public  officials  and  "the  truth  may 
be  given  in  evidence." 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  351 

Section  21  was  added  to  Article  3  providing  that  the  state 
treasurer  and  public  printer  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Legis- 
lature, but  the  governor  shall  have  the  privilege  of  filling  vacan- 
cies when  the  Legislature  was  not  in  session. 

Section  22  gave  the  governor  the  appointing  power  over  all 
officers  named  in  the  constitution  whose  selection  is  not  other- 
wise provided  for.  But  such  local  officers  as  have  duties  limited 
to  a  county  may  be  appointed  in  such  manner  as  the  General 
Assembly  may  provide. 

The  ordinance  was  then  passed  unanimously.  A  clause  was 
then  ordered  to  be  attached  to  the  schedule  providing  that  the 
General  Assembly  should  enact  such  laws  as  were  necessary 
to  prevent  dueling. 

Friday,  August  21,  1818 
The  schedule  was  then  considered.  The  words  lieutenant- 
governor  were  inserted  in  the  schedule  naming  an  election  offi- 
cer following  the  word  governor.  The  question  of  locating  the 
capital  of  the  new  state  had  been  one  of  great  concern.  Many 
propositions  had  been  brought  forward,  but  no  positive  action 
had  been  taken.  There  was  a  general  belief  that  the  capital 
would  not  long  remain  at  Kaskaskia.  Mr.  Gard  offered  a  reso- 
lution that  the  seat  of  government  should  remain  at  Kaskaskia 
until  its  location  should  be  determined  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly. However,  the  first  General  Assembly  was  directed  to  ask 
Congress  for  a  gift  of  four  sections  of  land  upon  which  the 
capitol  building  should  be  located.  This  carried  by  a  vote  of 
18  to  13. 

Saturday,  August  22,  1818 

A  petition  of  one  William  Thompson  asking  that  the  conven- 
tion shall  announce  that  the  moral  law  was  the  basis  of  the  con- 
stitution, and  that  the  scriptures  are  the  word  of  God,  the 
supreme  rule  of  faith,  and  practice.  The  petition  was  laid  on 
the  table. 

A  committee  of  three,  Messrs.  Lemen,  O'Melveny,  and  Kane, 
was  appointed  to  make  a  study  of  the  constitutions  as  amended 
and  passed  and  to  report  next  Monday  at  9  o'clock. 

Monday,  August  24,  1818 

By  resolution  the  right  to  vote  at  the  first  election  was  granted 
to  all  white,  male  inhabitants  who  were  residents  of  Illinois 
at  the  signing  of  the  constitution. 

The  committee  to  study  the  constitution  and  report  to  the  con- 
vention, recommended  that  Section  22  of  the  schedule  be  wholly 
expunged  which  was  done.  Many  other  changes  were  offered 
but  there  was  a  general  feeling  that  the  time  for  changes  was 
past  and  the  constitution  remained  about  as  read  the  third  time. 

The  convention  was  in  session  on  Tuesday  the  25th,  and  on 
Wednesday  the  26th,  but  there  is  no  official  record  of  what  was 


352  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

done  in  those  two  days.  The  only  copy  of  the  journal  of  the 
proceedings  known  was  given  to  the  secretary  of  state  in  1905 
by  J.  W.  Kitchell,  a  nephew  of  Joseph  Kitchell,  a  delegate  from 
Crawford  County. 

The  Constitution 

No  doubt  great  credit  is  due  the  pioneers  who  framed  our 
first  constitution.  The  framers  were  all  men  of  prominence 
in  the  counties  from  which  they  came.  Five  of  the  delegates 
were  lawyers,  Thomas,  Kane,  Hall,  Hubbard  and  Kitchell.  The 
first  two  named  were  Federal  judges.  Kitchell  was  without 
doubt  an  able  man.  He  appears  to  have  initiated  more  valuable 
provisions  in  the  constitution  than  any  other  one  man.  He  was 
not  on  the  committee  of  fifteen  which  presented  the  first  draft 
of  the  document,  but  from  the  time  the  work  on  the  floor  of  the 
convention  began,  Mr.  Kitchell  was  in  the  forefront.  Mr.  Kane 
probably  had  more  to  do  in  determining  the  fundamental  fea- 
tures of  the  constitution  than  any  one  else.  In  an  exhaustive 
article  on  Conrad  Will,  by  Dr.  John  F.  Snyder  in  Publications 
of  the  Illinois  Historical  Society,  Volume  10,  1905,  in  a  foot- 
note, Dr.  Snyder  says:  "Judge  Breese,  who  was  then  a  law 
student  in  Elias  K.  Kane's  office  in  Kaskaskia,  said  the  consti- 
tution modeled  in  part  after  that  of  Kentucky,  was  written  in 
Mr.  Kane's  office  some  time  before  the  meeting  of  the  conven- 
tion." Judge  Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  the  presiding  officer  of  the 
convention  and  seems  not  to  have  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
work  of  making  the  constitution,  but  without  doubt  his  counsel 
was  always  available.  Not  much  is  known  of  Hall  as  a  lawyer, 
but  from  what  can  be  gathered  as  to  the  professional  attain- 
ments of  Mr.  Hubbard  it  may  be  inferred  he  was  not  a  man  who 
ranked  high  among  the  lawyers  of  his  day. 

There  was  one  minister  of  the  Gospel  among  the  delegates. 
The  Rev.  James  Lemen  was  a  Baptist  preacher  and  a  man  of 
high  motives  and  strong  convictions.  He  voted  against  fixing 
the  salaries  of  the  governor  and  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  at  $1,250.  He  favored  $1,000  as  the  salary.  On  direct 
votes  on  the  slavery  question,  Mr.  Lemen  always  voted  against 
slavery. 

There  were  three  doctors  in  the  convention:  Dr.  George 
Fisher  from  Randolph,  Dr.  Caldwell  Cairns  of  Monroe  County, 
and  Dr.  Conrad  Will  of  Jackson  County. 

There  was  one  delegate  who  had  given  all  his  life  to  study 
and  teaching,  John  Messenger  from  St.  Clair  County. 

The  other  delegates  were  not  men  of  mark  except  they  were 
men  of  wide  official  experience  who  were  valuable  in  their  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  affairs  generally.  The  following  is  believed 
to  be  a  reliable  distribution  among  the  callings: 

Judges  and  Lawyers 5 

Ministers    1 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  353 

Physicians    3 

Teachers  2 

Business  Men 4 

Merchant  1 

Miller    1 

Office  Holders 6 

Farmers   10 

Total  33 

Election 

Section  9  of  the  schedule  reads  as  follows : 

"The  president  of  the  convention  shall  issue  writs  of  election 
to  the  several  sheriffs  of  the  several  counties — requiring  them 
to  cause  an  election  to  be  held  for  governor,  lieutenant-governor, 
representative  to  the  present  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and 
members  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  sheriffs  and  coroners  in 
the  respective  counties;  such  election  to  commence  on  the  third 
Thursday  of  September  next  and  continuing  that  and  the  two 
succeeding  days." 

These  elections  were  authorized  on  the  theory  that  the  consti- 
tution would  be  accepted  and  the  state  government  would  need 
to  take  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the  state.  Accordingly  the  elec- 
tions were  held  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  following : 

Governor,  Shadrach  Bond. 

Lieutenant  Governor,  Pierre  Menard. 

Representative  in  Congress,  John  McLean. 

There  was  little  opposition  to  Mr.  Bond  as  a  candidate  for  the 
governorship.  He  had  no  announced  opponents,  but  there  were 
votes  cast  for  other  men  for  the  position.  There  seems  to  have 
been  some  opposition  to  Bond  in  St.  Clair  County.  Bond  had  been 
mentioned  as  a  candidate  for  Congress.  Daniel  P.  Cook  and 
John  McLean  were  also  candidates,  and  they  both  desired  to  be 
rid  of  Bond  as  a  rival  canidate.  When  Bond  decided  to  make  the 
race  for  the  governorship,  it  left  a  clear  field  for  Cook  and 
McLean  for  Congress.  Slavery  was  injected  into  the  canvass, 
Cook  was  anti-slavery  and  McLean  was  pro-slavery.  The 
national  interest  in  the  slavery  question  was  just  awakening. 
The  vote  of  the  Illinois  representative  might  be  needed  badly 
by  either  side  in  the  fight  which  far-seeing  statesmen  saw  was 
coming.  It  is  said  that  Cook  and  McLean  debated  the  slavery 
question  along  the  lines  somewhat  afterwards  followed  by  Lin- 
coln and  Douglas.  When  the  votes  were  counted  it  was  found 
that  McLean  had  outrun  Cook  by  fourteen  votes  in  the  state. 

For  the  office  of  lieutenant-governor  there  were  three  candi- 
dates— Pierre  Menard,  William  L.  Reynolds,  and  Edward  N. 
Cullom.  Menard  was  well  known  over  the  state.  The  consti- 
tution had  been  worded  so  as  to  permit  him  to  serve  as  lieuten- 

14  VI 


354 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ant-governor,  Section  3  as  finally  amended  says  the  governor 
shall  be  thirty  years  of  age  and  a  citizen  of  the  United  States 
for  thirty  years.  Section  13  of  the  same  act  says  the  lieuten- 
ant-governor shall  have  the  same  qualifications  as  the  governor. 
Section  14  of  the  schedule  says  the  lieutenant-governor  shall  be 
thirty  years  of  age  and  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  must 
have  resided  in  the  state  two  years  next  preceding  his  election. 
This  change  in  the  schedule  was  made  it  was  said  to  allow 
Menard  to  serve  as  lieutenant-governor.  William  L.  Reynolds 
was  a  doctor  of  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  one  who  stood  high 
in  his  profession.  He  had  had  experience  in  the  Territorial 
Legislature,  but  that  was  limited.     Edward  N.  Cullom  was  a 


MANSION  OF  PIERRE  MENARD,  AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  BLUFF  ON  WHICH 
STOOD    OLD    FORT    GAGE    OPPOSITE    KASKASKIA 


member  of  the  convention  from  Crawford  County.  He,  too, 
had  served  in  the  Legislature.  It  is  stated  that  both  Reynolds 
and  Cullom  received  fewer  than  half  as  many  votes  as  Menard. 
Section  24  of  Article  2  says :  "The  first  meeting  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  shall  commence  on  the  first  Monday  of  October 
next,  and  forever  after,  the  General  Assembly  shall  meet  on 
the  first  Monday  in  December  next  ensuing  the  election  of  the 
members  thereof."  In  pursuance  of  this  provision  the  Legis- 
lature met  on  the  5th  of  October,  1818.  Here  arises  a  curious 
situation.  The  constitution  which  had  been  made  in  August  was 
never  ratified  by  the  people  and  on  the  meeting  of  the  Legis- 
lature on  October  5th  had  not  yet  been  accepted  by  the  Con- 
gress. The  state  constitution,  Article  2,  Section  26,  says  that 
every  person  elected  or  appointed  to  office  in  this  state  shall, 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  355 

before  he  enters  upon  the  duties  thereof  take  an  oath  to  sup- 
port the  constitution  of  the  United  States  and  of  this  state,  and 
also  an  oath  of  office.  What  would  have  been  the  value  of  these 
elections,  appointments,  and  oaths  if  Congress  had  refused  to 
accept  the  constitution  which  had  just  been  made?  What  would 
have  been  the  force  of  an  oath  to  support  a  constitution  which 
the  people  had  not  ratified  and  which  Congress  would  not 
accept?  If  it  be  contended  that  the  action  of  the  joint  session 
of  the  two  branches  of  the  General  Assembly  in  electing  two 
United  States  assemblymen,  was  valid,  why  did  the  Legislature 
adjourn  and  wait  till  January  before  laws  could  be  made  and 
many  other  forms  of  legislative  activity  participated  in? 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A  RETROSPECT 

Distribution  of  Population — The  Pioneers — Economic  Con- 
ditions —  Transportation  —  Religious  Life  —  Educa- 
tional Progress — The  Return  of  Clark's  Men. 

We  have  reached  the  day  when  Illinois  is  to  be  recognized  as 
having  obtained  her  majority.  Illinois  will  presently  be  admitted 
into  the  Union.  Her  population  is  increasing,  her  settlements 
are  spreading.  Her  industries  are  multiplying,  towns  are  grow- 
ing, the  soil  of  her  rich  prairies  and  the  resources  of  her  tim- 
bered areas  are  becoming  known  as  well  in  Europe  as  within 
our  own  New  World. 

Distribution  of  Population 

The  population  by  the  census  of  1820  was  55,162  while  in 
1810  it  was  12,282.  This  would  give  46,586  as  the  population 
in  1818.  This  of  course  is  too  large,  as  there  were  less  than 
40,000  people  by  the  census  of  1818  when  Illinois  was  admitted 
into  the  Union.  The  large  counties  in  population  were  Madi- 
son, Randolph,  St.  Clair,  Gallatin,  Edwards,  Crawford,  and 
Bond.  With  the  exception  of  Bond  these  all  touch  the  Ohio  or 
the  Mississippi.  Union,  Alexander,  Pulaski,  Johnson  and  Mas- 
sac had  less  than  two  people  to  the  square  mile  in  1818.  This 
distribution  of  population  along  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash  and 
along  the  Mississippi  is  easily  explained.  In  the  last  two  decades 
the  population  had  come  from  the  south  and  east,  and  as  the 
people  sought  their  homes  they  remained  close  to  the  rivers  and 
their  tributaries.  The  settlements  had  gone  up  the  Mississippi 
several  miles  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River,  and  up 
the  Ohio  and  Wabash  to  the  present  Clark  and  Edgar  counties. 
That  part  of  the  state  now  occupied  by  Johnson,  Williamson, 
Franklin,  Jefferson,  Marion,  Clay  and  Effingham  were  very 
sparsely  settled — except  Williamson,  and  Franklin.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  state  in  1818  or  1820  occupied  less  than  one-fourth 
of  the  area  of  the  state. 

The  north  two-thirds  or  three-fourths  of  the  state  was  still 
a  wilderness.  There  were  remnants  of  Indian  tribes  in  the  cen- 
tral and  northern  parts  of  the  state.  A  map  of  Illinois  printed 
in  the  American  Atlas,  published  in  Philadelphia,  shows  Indian 
villages  southeast  of  Peoria,  east  of  Peoria,  on  the  Kankakee, 
south  of  Chicago,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rock  River.    These 

356 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  357 

Indians  were  the  Kickapoos,  the  Moonpokes,  the  Sax  and  Foxes, 
the  Winnebagoes,  and  the  Pottawattomios.  There  were  other 
broken  tribes  in  the  unsettled  portions  of  the  state. 

The  people  in  Illinois  in  1818  were  chiefly  from  the  slave- 
holding  states.  There  were  of  course  the  descendants  of  the 
early  French  found  mostly  along  the  Mississippi  with  a  few 
along  the  Wabash  near  Vincennes.  True  enough  there  were 
here  and  there  men  of  prominence  and  influence  who  had  made 
their  way  into  the  southern  parts  of  Illinois  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, Massachusetts,  and  New  York.  Then  there  were  many 
individuals  and  now  and  then  groups  from  the  Old  World.  The 
English  settlements  at  Albion  and  Wanboro  in  Edwards  County, 
Thornwald  in  Union  County  and  German  settlements  in  St. 
Clair  County  are  illustrations.  Many  groups  of  Scotch-Irish 
came  into  Illinois  in  a  very  early  day,  but  they  nearly  all  came 
by  way  of  the  Carolinas  and  thence  through  Tennessee  into 
Illinois. 

The  Pioneers 

The  people  who  came  into  Illinois  between  1800  and  1818,  as 
well  as  those  who  were  already  here,  were  of  the  class  known 
as  the  pioneers.  They  were  the  John  the  Baptists  opening  the 
way  for  those  who  might  come  after  them.  They  were  the 
frontiersmen  who  pushed  the  opposing  forces  of  civilization 
continually  backward.  They  drove  back  the  red  savages,  opened 
roads,  discovered  the  natural  resources,  located  the  fords,  built 
the  first  defenses,  established  homes,  planted  the  first  signs  of 
a  Christian  civilization,  subdued  the  wild  beasts  and  kept  open 
communication  with  the  older  sections  of  the  country.  The 
Marquis  de  Castellux,  a  French  officer,  traveled  through  this 
country  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  was  greatly 
interested  in  the  work  of  the  pioneers.  He  was  surprised  to 
find  what  one  man  had  done  in  one  year.  Then  the  mystery 
was  solved  when  he  found  that  there  was  a  pioneer  every  three 
miles,  and  was  filled  with  enthusiasm  when  he  found  that  no 
man  worked  by  himself  but  that  a  most  beautiful  spirit  of  help- 
fulness was  manifest  everywhere.  He  said  he  would  be  asked 
in  France,  where  they  do  not  understand  the  life  of  the  pio- 
neers, how  men  working  alone  in  the  forest  wilds  could  do  what 
he  found  accomplished.  He  said  he  would  tell  his  people  that 
on  the  frontier  "a  man  is  never  alone,  never  an  isolated  being. 
The  neighbors,  for  they  are  everywhere  to  be  found,  make  it  a 
point  of  hospitality  to  aid  the  new  farmer.  A  cask  of  cider 
drunk  in  common,  and  with  gaiety,  or  a  gallon  of  rum,  are  the 
recompense  for  these  services.  Such  are  the  means  by  which 
North  America,  which  100  years  ago  was  nothing  but  a  vast 
forest,  is  peopled  with  3,000,000  of  inhabitants." 

The  French  Marquis  discovered  one  element  of  the  life  of 
the  pioneers — helpfulness.     There  was  also  a  sturdiness  in  the 


358  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

life  of  the  frontiersman  which  is  not  found  in  the  life  which 
succeeds  the  life  of  the  pioneers.  There  was  nothing  light  and 
trivial  in  the  true  pioneers.  They  were  people  who  had  their 
minds  made  up,  and  their  hearts  set  on  immediate  ends,  and 
all  their  energies  were  brought  to  bear  in  the  realization  of 
these  ends.  The  subduing  of  the  wilderness  whether  it  be  on 
the  open  prairies  or  in  the  timber,  the  founding  of  a  home 
whether  humble  or  elaborate,  the  building  and  maintaining  of 
a  house  of  worship,  the  opening  of  roads,  the  building  of  bridges, 
the  supporting  of  some  sort  of  educational  system,  however 
crude,  and  above  all  the  maintenance  of  high  standards  in  moral 
and  economic  relationships.  These  are  the  things  the  Marquis 
saw  in  the  humble  people  he  found  in  the  territory  west  of  the 
Appalachians  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  these 
are  the  same  people  with  the  same  high  ideals  that  prepared 
Illinois  for  statehood  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  men  and  the  women  who  came  into  Illinois  in  the  first 
quarter  of  the  last  century,  had  not  only  the  immediate  ends 
which  they  must  accomplish  of  making  sure  the  basis  of  their 
immediate  physical  and  spiritual  well-being,  but  they  had  a 
really  broad  outlook  upon  the  world.  They  brought  high  ideals 
and  ambitious  plans  which  were  not  realized  for  decades  in  the 
future.  Cities  were  planned,  school  systems  matured,  free  gov- 
ernment, state  and  local,  projected,  and  many  looked  forward 
to  the  development  of  the  great  resources  of  the  state  though 
possibly  in  the  distant  future.  To  confirm  the  doubting  Thom- 
ases we  need  only  to  mention  the  life  work  of  Dr.  John  Peck, 
Morris  Birkbeck,  Rev.  John  M.  Ellis,  Ninian  Edwards,  Hon. 
John  Rice  Jones,  Hon.  Elias  Kent  Kane,  James  Hall,  Rev.  James 
Lemen,  Governor  John  Reynolds,  and  many  others,  all  of  whom 
helped  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  greatness  of  an  imperial 
commonwealth. 

There  is  and  ought  to  be  no  purpose  to  deny  the  fact  that 
there  was  an  ignorant  and  uneducated  class  of  people  in  the  set- 
tled portions  of  Illinois  in  1818.  As  has  been  said  above  the 
large  majority  of  the  people  who  migrated  into  Illinois  in  the 
first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  were  from  states  where 
there  were  no  free  schools,  where  the  participation  in  the  affairs 
of  the  local  government  were  very  limited,  and  where  ease  of 
making  a  living  did  not  contribute  to  the  development  of 
resourcefulness  of  the  individual.  These  people  were  therefore 
slow  in  adapting  themselves  to  the  conditions  which  another 
group  of  people  might  desire  to  obtain.  But  ignorance  is  not 
a  crime.  Nor  does  it  lead  necessarily  to  criminality.  It  will 
often  turn  out  that  the  standards  of  right  conduct  are  found 
to  be  of  a  very  high  order  even  among  an  uneducated  people. 
There  were  few  crimes  committed  in  Illinois  between  1800  and 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  359 

1818.    True,  some  of  the  forms  of  punishment  were  crude  and 
barbarous,  but  not  more  so  than  those  for  offenses  of  a  later  date. 

Economic  Conditions 

It  is  true  that  the  pressing  need  among  the  early  settlers 
was  an  economic  need.  Food  must  be  provided  out  of  the 
resources  at  hand.  The  fishes  of  the  streams  and  lakes  must 
contribute  their  share  to  the  sustaining  of  the  people.  The 
people  found  the  problem  of  supplying  this  form  of  food  an 
easy  one.  The  streams  were  at  the  doors,  the  rich  foods  which 
the  prairies  and  the  woods  furnished  the  fishes  of  the  streams, 
and  the  running  water  pure  and  fresh  kept  the  fishes  in  the 
best  condition  as  a  food  supply.  The  wild  game  was  plentiful. 
If  the  settler  was  located  in  the  timber  areas,  he  might  secure 
an  abundance  of  the  choicest  meats  from  the  wild  animals.  The 
wild  turkey  without  doubt  furnished  the  choicest  meat  that 
could  be  obtained  from  the  woods  or  fields.  The  prairie  chicken 
was  a  close  second  to  the  wild  turkey ;  wild  pigeons,  ducks,  geese 
and  quails  were  found  in  abundance  and  their  contribution  to 
the  food  supply  of  the  early  settler  was  abundant  and  exceed- 
ingly acceptable.  On  the  open  prairies  beside  the  prairie 
chicken,  there  was  the  deer  and  the  timid  antelope,  and  in  the 
earlier  days  the  buffalo.  It  is  difficult  for  us  to  see  how  the  pio- 
neers could  have  accomplished  so  much  in  the  opening  up  of 
the  country  if  their  living  had  not  been  so  easily  obtained. 

Providing  shelter  was  a  simple  task  for  our  forefathers.  Most 
of  them  had  been  used  to  the  building  of  log  houses  in  the  states 
from  which  they  came.  The  timber  furnished  the  logs  for  the 
cabin.  In  the  building  of  the  first  homes,  there  was  that  charm- 
ing spirit  of  helpfulness  which  we  have  already  spoken  of.  In 
any  considerable  neighborhood  there  were  always  as  many  as 
four  "corner  men,"  professional  ax  men  who  could  carry  up 
the  corner  of  a  log  house  in  a  really  artistic  manner.  The  house 
raising  was  a  day  when  men  and  women  shared  with  each  other 
the  joy  of  service.  The  women  would  provide  excellent  dinners 
for  the  men  who  were  "raising  the  house."  We  hear  much  of 
the  puncheon  floors,  but  we  must  not  imagine  that  there  were 
no  saw  mills  in  the  country.  They  were  in  fact  quite  plentiful. 
They  ran  by  water  power,  by  horse  power,  and  now  and  then  a 
stream  mill  would  be  seen.  The  floors,  doors,  and  partitions 
were  often  of  sawed  boards.  The  proverbial  clapboard  was  in 
evidence  everywhere.  Every  farmer  who  lived  in  the  timber 
owned  his  frow  and  could  rive  his  own  boards.  The  climax  of 
artistic  construction  was  to  be  found  in  the  building  of  the  "mud 
and  stick"  chimney.  Fifty  to  seventy  years  ago,  the  stick  chim- 
ney was  still  to  be  seen  in  some  parts  of  Illinois.  And  to  the 
young  people  of  those  days  it  was  always  a  mystery  why  the 


360 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


chimney  did  not  catch  fire,  but  the  mystery  was  easily  cleared 
up  by  watching  the  professional  chimney  builder  as  he  pur- 
sued his  art. 

Farming  was  universal.  Probably  as  many  as  75  per  cent  of 
the  people  followed  the  tilling  of  the  soil.  The  land  everywhere 
was  productive.  If  it  were  in  the  timber  regions,  it  had  become 
enriched  by  the  decay  of  immense  crops  of  leaves.  To  this  was 
added  the  decayed  limbs  and  nuts  which  covered  the  ground  in 
the  summer  time.  The  prairies  received  each  year  the  crop  of 
grass  which  the  summer  had  produced.  Thus  the  native  soil 
needed  no  fertilizers.  Farming  was  not  always  carried  on 
because  it  was  a  matter  of  necessity.  It  was  considered  a  very 
profitable  line  of  economic  activity.     There  were  two  lines  of 


AN    EARLY    DAY    DWELLING    IN    RICHLAND    COUNTY 
Built  of  clay  and  straw  mixed 

profit  in  farming  in  the  early  days.  The  markets  of  New  Orleans 
were  permanently  opened  up  to  the  people  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  when  the  Government  purchased  Louisiana  in  1803.  The 
countries  of  Europe  early  learned  that  New  Orleans  was  a  fine 
market  in  which  to  purchase  sugar,  corn,  oats,  cotton,  wheat, 
tobacco,  cordage,  hay,  potatoes,  cured  meats,  lumber,  hides, 
wool,  lead,  and  even  live  stock.  In  1802  James  Madison  said : 
"The  Mississippi  is  everything  to  them  (the  people  west  of  the 
Alleghanies)  ;  it  is  the  Hudson,  the  Potomac,  the  Delaware,  and 
all  the  navigable  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  coast  formed  in  one." 
The  exports  from  New  Orleans  in  the  year  1802  were  a  little 
short  of  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  ocean  going  vessels  cleared  from  New  Orleans  in 
1802.     In  1818,  $16,771,711  worth  of  produce  from  the  Missis- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  361 

sippi  Valley  was  exported  from  New  Oreans.  At  the  same  date 
it  cost  one-third  of  the  farmer's  wheat  crop  in  Western  Penn- 
sylvania to  market  the  other  two-thirds  in  New  York  City.  And 
the  cost  of  bringing  a  ton  of  merchandise  from  Baltimore  to 
Cincinnati  at  this  time  was  $150.  Farming  was  therefore  a 
profitable  business  in  Illinois.  Much  of  the  Illinois  produce  was 
transported  from  the  place  where  it  was  raised  by  flat-boats, 
which  was  a  very  cheap  form  of  transportation.  Flat-boats 
even  as  early  as  1818  were  built,  and  carried  the  produce  out  of 
the  Little  Wabash,  the  Big  Wabash,  the  Saline,  the  Cache,  the 
Big  Muddy,  the  Kaskaskia  and  possibly  out  of  smaller  streams. 
A  second  form  of  profit  that  the  early  farmer  realized  was  in  the 
enhanced  value  of  his  farming  lands.  The  best  land  in  Illinois 
could  be  bought  at  $2.00  per  acre — and  after  1820  at  $1.25  per 
acre.  If  this  land  were  in  the  prairie  it  was  within  a  few  years 
worth  from  $5  to  $10  an  acre.  If  the  farm  were  in  the  timber 
regions  it  took  longer  to  improve  it  and  even  then  it  was  not 
worth  so  much  per  acre,  still  the  price  had  often  quadrupled 
within  less  than  a  dozen  years. 

Manufacturing  advanced  as  rapidly  as  other  forms  of  eco- 
nomic activity.  Ford,  in  his  history  of  Illinois,  says:  the  few 
things  which  the  farmers  could  not  supply  themselves  with 
were  obtained  from  the  merchants  in  the  larger  towns.  Tea 
and  coffee  were  not  in  common  use  and  sugar  was  often  made 
from  the  sap  of  the  maple  trees.  Nearly  all  forms  of  clothing 
were  manufactured  in  the  home.  The  wool  was  raised  by  the 
farmer.  It  was  carded  and  spun  by  the  farmer's  wife  and  her 
daughters.  It  was  woven  in  the  home  and  the  cloth  was  made 
into  garments  for  the  members  of  the  family.  Leather  was 
tanned  by  the  early  settlers.  Tanneries  could  be  seen  on  the 
farms  as  late  as  the  Civil  war.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to 
find  among  the  frontiersmen  a  cobbler's  outfit.  Some  farmers 
even  made  shoes  for  the  family.  A  bellows,  anvil,  forge,  vise, 
and  a  few  crude  tools  were  to  be  found  in  each  neighborhood. 
It  was  no  trick  for  the  farmer  to  sharpen  a  plow,  shrink  his 
tires,  upset  his  axe,  and  weld  broken  iron.  The  more  thrifty 
farmers  kept  a  work  bench,  a  shaving  horse,  and  a  few  tools 
for  the  different  kinds  of  wood  work.  The  thoughtful  farmer 
usually  had  lumber  ready  for  the  making  of  crude  coffins.  The 
author  was  told  by  an  early  settler  that  he  often  helped  to  make 
coffins  for  the  burial  of  the  dead. 

Among  a  people  so  self-sufficing,  we  should  expect  manu- 
factures to  progress  slowly.  And  yet  there  were  certain  kinds 
of  manufacturing  which  were  carried  on  in  a  really  business- 
like way.  Perhaps  the  most  pretentious  manufacturing  enter- 
prise in  the  state  was  the  salines  near  the  Town  of  Equality  in 
Gallatin  County.  Here  was  a  plant  that  had  been  in  continuous 
operation   since  the  earliest  travelers  passed  this  way.     The 


362  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

works  in  its  most  palmy  days  turned  out  several  hundred  barrels 
of  salt  per  day.  Several  hundred  men  were  employed — many  of 
them  indentured  slaves.  We  shall  describe  the  manufacture  of 
salt  at  this  saline  more  fully  in  a  future  chapter. 

Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  one  of  the  three  Federal  judges  ap- 
pointed in  1809  to  hold  court  in  Illinois  Territory.  He  arrived  in 
Kaskaskia  and  took  up  his  home  in  or  near  "Elvirade,"  the  coun- 
try home  of  the  governor.  A  few  year's  later,  Mr.  Thomas  began 
to  farm  near  Cahokia.  In  those  days  the  farmers  were  produc- 
ing wool  in  abundance.  This  must  be  carded  by  hand,  spun  and 
woven  into  cloth  for  the  families  of  the  pioneers.  The  most  ted- 
ious part  of  the  process  was  to  card  the  wool  into  rolls.  Mr. 
Thomas  therefore  decided  to  erect  a  carding  house  in  Cahokia. 
This  he  did  in  the  summer  of  1817.  The  building  was  a  roomy 
barn-like  structure  with  a  spacious  basement.  In  the  basement 
was  a  large  tread-mill  where  the  power  to  run  the  carding  ma- 
chine was  generated.  Oxen  were  forced  to  climb  the  tread-mill, 
and  were  kept  at  their  task  by  the  manager  of  the  mill  from  the 
upper  floor.  The  carding  machinery  was  brought  from  the  east 
and  was  installed  and  managed  by  Hon.  Adam  W.  Snyder,  who 
later  served  two  terms  in  Congress  and  a  term  as  state  senator. 
He  was  the  democratic  candidate  for  governor  in  1842,  but  died 
in  the  early  summer  and  his  place  on  the  ticket  was  taken  by 
Judge  Ford.  The  carding  mill  which  Judge  Thomas  erected  and 
fostered  in  Cahokia  was  the  first  industry  along  that  line  in 
the  state. 

The  making  of  lumber  was  an  important  form  of  manufac- 
turing in  the  period  just  before  statehood.  The  timber  in  South- 
ern Illinois  was  of  a  very  fine  quality  and  the  choicest  lumber 
was  produced.  Much  of  this  lumber  was  used  locally,  but 
much  of  it  was  sent  by  flat  boat  to  New  Orleans.  Walnut,  ash, 
oak,  gum,  cherry,  hard  maple,  and  other  kinds  constituted  a 
choice  lot  of  lumber  for  the  markets  in  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and 
New  Orleans.  Oak,  hickory,  and  ash  were  sawed  for  the  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  making  of  wagons,  plows,  harrows,  and  other 
kinds  of  farm  machinery.  Wagon-makers  were  to  be  found 
located  here  and  there  in  the  villages  and  towns. 

Weaving  was  done  not  only  in  the  home,  but  in  many  places 
home-made  cloth  was  found  in  the  stores,  which  had  been  woven 
by  expert  weavers.  The  tanning  of  leather  was  carried  on  as  a 
business,  and  rope  walks  were  not  uncommon  in  the  early  days. 
The  grinding  of  grain  was  also  a  very  common  form  of  manu- 
facturing in  the  early  days  of  the  last  century.  Mills  were 
found  in  the  larger  towns,  and  frequently  in  out  of  the  way 
places  on  account  of  the  location  of  falls  or  the  ease  of  making 
dams.  Much  flour  was  marketed  in  New  Orleans  or  in  the 
larger  towns  along  the  Upper  Mississippi  or  on  the  Ohio. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


363 


Transportation 

The  economic  activity  most  closely  related  to  farming  and 
manufacturing  is  commerce  and  trade.  Surpluses  in  the  raw 
material,  such  as  wheat,  corn,  wool,  lumber,  etc.,  together  with 
the  manufactured  products,  must  be  moved  to  localities  where 
they  are  needed.  And  fortunate  are  any  people  who  are  blessed 
with  an  abundance  of  the  raw  material  from  which  the  manu- 
factured articles  may  be  made  who  also  have  abundant  means 
of  transportation.  From  all  points  of  consideration,  Illinois 
was,  from  the  earliest  times,  a  state  which  could  easily  develop 
her  means  of  transportation.     The  Mississippi  was  from  the 


RIVER  STEAMERS  ON  THE   MARINE  WAYS  AT  MOUND   CITY 


first  an  unrivaled  means  of  transporting  goods.  Even  in  the 
days  before  the  steamboat,  the  Mississippi  was  the  great  artery 
of  trade  with  New  Orleans.  There  was  of  course  some  diffi- 
culty in  bringing  the  goods  purchased  in  New  Orleans  to  the 
Illinois  Territory.  The  boats  must  be  brought  up  by  oars  or  by 
a  process  called  cordelling,  or  possibly  by  the  help  of  sails.  But 
in  spite  of  the  difficulty  of  bringing  goods  from  New  Orleans  to 
Illinois,  prior  to  the  days  of  the  steam-boat,  that  was  the  route 
of  most  of  the  imports  into  the  Illinois  Territory.  The  Ohio 
served  a  similar  need  in  the  early  days.  Cincinnati  early  became 
an  excellent  market  for  goods  brought  over  the  mountains  from 
New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.  In  addition  to  the 
rivers  named,  there  were  the  Illinois,  the  Kaskaskia,  the  Wabash 
and  others  of  less  importance.  Roads  were  early  laid  out  and 
made  available  for  cross-country  traffic. 


364  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

There  were  transportation  routes  established  from  the  larger 
towns  along  the  three  larger  rivers  to  inland  towns  and  com- 
munity centers.  There  were  a  few  of  the  "Connestoga"  style  of 
wagons  that  found  their  way  over  the  Alleghanies  from  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania.  They  might  have  been  seen  moving 
from  the  towns  and  landing  places  along  the  rivers  to  the 
country  seats  and  less  important  villages,  loaded  with  the  neces- 
saries of  life — salt,  iron,  earthernware,  domestics,  leather,  tools, 
and  implements  in  limited  quantities,  coffee,  spices,  and  some 
articles  that  in  those  days  might  have  been  called  luxuries.  To 
show  that  many  articles  of  foreign  make  were  found  in  the 
stores  we  copy  from  the  introductory  volume  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tennial Publications,  a  list  of  articles  offered  for  sale  by  one 
John  Grant  who  in  January,  1819,  offered  for  sale  a  considerable 
list  of  articles  all  of  foreign  make. 

New  Store 

Carmi,  White  County,  Illinois. 

The  Subscriber  has  opened  a  choice  assortment  of  the  follow- 
ing goods,  which  he  has  selected  with  care  and  attention  in 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh,  and  which  he  will  sell  on  reason- 
able terms,  whole-sale  and  retail : 

Domestic  and  imported  superfine  cloths  and  cassimeres. 

Sattinets,  cassenets,  and  kerseys. 

Velveteens  and  vestings. 

Printed  calicoes. 

Furniture  ditts. 

Domestic  and  imported  ginghams  and  chambrays — plain  and 
twilled. 

Bombozets. 

White  and  colored  flannels. 

Rose  and  Point  blankets. 

Steam-loom  and  domestic  shirtings. 

Sheeting  muslins  and  bedticks. 

Men's  and  women's  worsted  and  cotton  hose. 

Men's  and  women's  gloves. 

Waterloo  shawls  and  silk  handkerchiefs. 

Cambric,  Jaconet  and  book  muslins. 

Insertion  trimmings  and  ribbons. 

Scots  thread  and  cotton  balls — white  and  colored. 

Manteras  and  sevantines. 

India  muslins. 

Men's,  women's,  and  children's  boots  and  shoes. 

Looking-glasses  and  Jap'd  trays. 

Tortoise,  ivory  and  common  combs. 

Hand  vises. 

Millsaw  and  handsaw  tiles. 

Pitt  and  cross-cut  saws. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  365 

German  steel  handsaws. 

Thumb  latches,  hinges  and  locks. 

Spades,  shovels,  hoes,  axes,  frying  pans,  pots,  teakettles,  dutch 
ovens,  smothing-irons,  with  a  great  variety  of  cutlery,  cast  and 
hollow  ware. 

Groceries,  hollow  glassware  of  Kenwell's  manufacture — win- 
dow glass. 

School  books  and  stationery. 

English  Crowley  Mellington  steel. 

Juanitta  Bar-iron. 

Sieves  and  riddles. 

Grindstones  of  the  best  quality. 

JOHN  GRANT. 

Carmi,  December  31,  1818. 

A    shawneetown    merchant   offered    cash    for    the    following 


:ts  from  the  farm: 

Tallow 

Turnips 

Candle  cotton 

Onions 

Soft  flax  for  wicks 

Parsnips 

Venison  hams 

Carrots 

Butter 

Hops 

Cheese 

Sage 

Eggs 

Twilled  bags 

Potatoes 

These  two  advertisements  would  indicate  that  there  were 
many  goods  in  the  stores  that  were  evidently  not  hand-made, 
and  that  there  was  a  good  market  for  what  the  farmer  could 
produce  on  the  farm.  So  there  was  work  for  the  wagoner  in 
bringing  the  foreign  goods  to  the  inland  towns  and  in  carrying 
the  farmers'  produce  which  accumulated  in  the  country  stores 
to  the  river  towns  for  shipment  to  the  larger  cities. 

The  commerce  and  trade  of  the  Illinois  Territory  was  greatly 
stimulated  by  the  appearance  of  the  steamboats  upon  the  rivers. 
We  have  already  called  attention  to  the  part  played  by  the  com- 
ing of  the  steamboat  in  stimulating  immigration.  In  a  like  man- 
ner the  steamboat  shortened  the  time  which  was  required  to  get 
the  farmers'  produce  from  the  shipping  points  along  the  rivers. 
Not  only  was  there  a  saving  of  time,  but  there  was  a  cheapening 
of  rates  of  transportation.  The  desire  of  the  people  to  have 
easy  access  to  the  shipping  points  along  the  rivers  gave  added 
interest  to  the  building  of  roads  and  bridges,  and  thus  the  prob- 
lems of  transportation  were  from  year  to  year  being  solved. 

Religious  Life 

The  moral  tone  of  the  life  of  a  people  in  a  newly  settled  coun- 
try is  always  of  high  standard.  The  people  who  migrate  from 
an  older  settled  country  are  usually  not  of  the  "upper  classes" 


366  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

as  we  use  the  expression,  nor  of  the  dregs  of  society.  But  they 
are  of  the  great  middle  class — the  bourgeois.  Their  purpose  in 
emigrating  is  to  better  their  condition  in  life,  and  they  are  con- 
scious that  this  better  condition  can  come  only  through  the 
severest  discipline  in  the  new  country.  They  usually  have  no 
notion  that  by  any  form  of  legerdemain  they  can  place  them- 
selves in  positions  of  wealth  or  high  social  standing  in  the  new 
country.  They  seek  only  the  opportunity  to  cooperate  with  the 
natural  and  legitimate  forces  which  bring  prosperity,  happiness, 
and  acknowledged  superiority.  They  are  patient,  industrious, 
self-sacrificing,  considerate  always  of  the  rights  and  wishes  of 
others.  Such  were  the  people  who  made  up  the  larger  part  of 
the  population  of  Illinois  in  1818.  They  believed  in  honest  toil, 
they  lived  close  to  nature,  and  were  obedient  to  the  laws  of 
man  and  of  God.  These  early  comers  were  not  always  members 
of  the  church.  The  Rev.  John  Peck,  who  was  the  best  known 
individual  in  Illinois  at  the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  a  century, 
gives  the  names  of  James  Moore,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  Robert 
Kidd,  James  Garrison,  Larkin  Rutherford,  J.  Piggott,  Joseph 
Ogle,  Joseph  Worley,  James  Andrews,  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  James 
McRoberts,  George  Atchison,  and  David  Waddle  as  early  settlers 
at  and  near  New  Design,  now  the  town  of  Waterloo,  Monroe 
County.  These  were  men  with  high  ideals  and  stout  hearts. 
They  came  into  Monroe  County,  some  of  them,  as  early  as  1781. 
Doctor  Peck  says  not  one  of  them  was  a  member  of  the  church. 
On  Sundays  they  would  all  gather  at  a  particular  home  and 
there  engage  in  simple  religious  exercises.  They  read  the  scrip- 
tures, commented  on  them,  sang  songs  and  psalms,  read  ser- 
mons, but  never  prayed.  They  thus  kept  rather  high  ideals  as 
to  duty  of  pioneers  on  the  Lord's  day. 

"In  the  summer  of  1787,  James  Smith,  a  Baptist  preacher 
from  Lincoln  County,  Kentucky,  visited  New  Design  and 
preached  to  the  people  repeatedly."  His  labors  were  not  with- 
out reward,  for  James  Ogle  and  James  Lemen  and  their  wives, 
and  others,  were  converted.  Reverend  Smith  returned  to  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  next  year  found  him  back  at  New  Design.  He 
was  captured  in  a  battle  with  the  Indians,  carried  to  the  Wabash 
a  prisoner,  and  was  eventually  ransomed  by  the  people  of  New 
Design  by  the  payment  to  the  Indians  of  $170.  In  1794  Rev. 
Josiah  Dodge,  also  from  Kentucky,  a  preacher  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  held  what  we  know  as  a  revival  or  protracted  meeting 
at  New  Design,  and  at  this  time  he  baptized  James  Lemen,  his 
wife,  John  Gibbons,  and  Isaac  Enochs.  Reynolds  says  these 
were  the  first  people  baptized  in  Illinois. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  Illinois  was  organized  by  the  Rev. 
David  Badgley  in  1796.  The  Reverend  Badgley  was  from  Vir- 
ginia. It  appears  that  quite  a  few  people  who  had  belonged  to 
the  Baptist  Church  in  Kentucky  had  come  to  the  New  Design 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  367 

settlement,  among  whom  was  Joseph  Chance,  who  had  been  set 
apart  as  a  lay  elder.  The  Reverend  Badgley  preached  earnestly 
for  more  than  three  weeks  and  fifteen  persons  were  converted. 
These,  together  with  those  who  had  formerly  belonged  to  the 
Baptist  Church,  were  organized  into  a  church  in  New  Design. 
There  were  twenty-eight  members.  The  next  year  the  Reverend 
Badgley  and  Joseph  Chance  preached  and  worked  faithfully  and 
organized  another  Baptist  Church  in  the  American  Bottom,  a 
few  miles  west  of  New  Design.  Mr.  James  Lemen  became  a 
Baptist  preacher  of  much  power.  He  was  a  man  of  marked 
character  both  as  a  preacher  and  as  a  citizen.  "Father  John 
Clark"  came  into  Illinois  in  1797  and  did .  a  great  work  as 
preacher  and  teacher.  In  the  early  part  of  the  last  century  Rev. 
Mr.  Lindley  preached  in  what  is  now  Sangamon  County.  Rev. 
William  Jones  came  into  what  is  now  Madison  County,  on  Wood 
River,  in  1806,  and  preached  there  for  many  years.  Several 
Baptist  churches  were  formed  about  1807  in  what  is  now  Madi- 
son County  and  in  the  present  limits  of  St.  Clair  County. 

The  Rev.  John  Peck  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  at  least 
four  sons  of  the  Rev.  James  Lemen  became  Baptist  preachers. 
The  Rev.  William  Kinney  became  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  and  was  a  power  for  good  for  many  years.  He  was 
prominent  in  politics  in  the  early  years  of  the  state.  The  Rev. 
Deacon  Smith  came  from  Maine  to  St.  Clair  County  about  the 
time  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 

"An  association  of  Baptist  churches  was  formed  in  1807,  con- 
taining five  churches,  namely,  the  New  Design,  Mississippi  Bot- 
tom, Richland,  Wood  River,  and  Silver  Creek.  There  were  three 
ordained  preachers  and  sixty-two  members  in  these  churches. 
In  1809  six  preachers  were  ordained,  and  in  all  400  communi- 
cants in  Missouri  and  Illinois.  The  Baptist  churches  grew  in 
proportion  to  other  religious  congregations,  and  the  population 
of  the  country,  until  this  day  (1855)  they  are  established  in 
almost  every  section  of  the  country,  and  are  the  second  religious 
denomination  in  the  state.  The  census  of  1850  states  that  the 
Baptist  churches  number  265 — accommodating  91,620  persons, 
and  their  property  is  estimated  at  $204,095." 

Without  doubt  the  most  noted  Baptist  in  Illinois  prior  to  his 
death,  in  1858,  was  John  Mason  Peck.  In  another  place  we  shall 
speak  of  his  life  and  public  services. 

The  Methodists  were  early  on  the  ground  in  Illinois.  The 
Rev.  Joseph  Lillard  was  the  first  preacher.  He  was  a  circuit 
rider  in  Kentucky,  and  in  1793  he  came  to  New  Design,  where 
he  preached  and  had  what  they  called  "class  meetings."  These 
were  of  the  nature  of  a  prayer  meeting  and  experience  meeting 
combined.  Joseph  Ogle,  who  had  been  converted  under  the  Rev. 
James  Smith,  the  Baptist  preacher,  joined  in  with  the  preaching 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lillard,  who  made  Mr.  Ogle  the  "class  leader." 


368  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  Rev.  Hosea  Riggs,  an  exhorter  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  came  in  1796.  The  "class"  that  was  organized  by  the 
Reverend  Lillard  had  disbanded  and  Mr.  Riggs  reorganized  it 
and  it  held  together  for  a  few  years,  but  later  disbanded.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Riggs  organized  a  "class"  in  the  Goshen  neighborhood, 
near  Edwardsville,  which  flourished  for  awhile.  Dr.  Joseph 
Oglesby  was  a  circuit  rider  in  Illinois  in  1805  and  the  Rev. 
Charles  R.  Matheny  performed  similar  service  in  1806.  In  the 
next  year  Bishop  McKendree  visited  Illinois  and  organized 
churches  at  various  places  where  the  earlier  preachers  had 
gathered  a  few  people  together.  In  all  the  churches  he  organized 
there  were  200  members.  While  Bishop  McKendree  was  in 
Illinois  he  held  two  camp  meetings,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Jesse 
Walker,  one  of  the  most  successful  missionaries  the  Methodists 
had  had  in  Illinois.  One  of  these  camp  meetings  was  held  a  few 
miles  south  of  Edwardsville,  probably  not  far  from  the  Goshen 
settlement,  and  the  other  was  held  at  Shiloh,  in  St.  Clair  County, 
some  six  miles  northeast  of  Belleville.  These  were  the  first 
camp  meetings  ever  held  in  Illinois  and  were  a  new  form  of 
religious  activity.  The  Rev.  Jesse  Walker  introduced  Methodism 
into  St.  Louis  in  1820,  greatly  against  the  wish  of  certain  in- 
terests, but  he  persisted  and,  with  the  help  of  the  Baptists,  he 
secured  a  foothold.  With  the  help  of  friends,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Walker  cut  timber  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  Mississippi  and 
built  a  substantial  structure  in  St.  Louis  which  came  to  be 
known  as  "Father  Walker's  Church." 

But  without  doubt  the  greatest  figure  in  Methodism  in  Illinois 
was  the  Rev.  Peter  Cartwright,  whose  sketch  will  be  found  in 
another  place. 

The  Presbyterians  were  at  work  in  Illinois  as  early  as  1796. 
In  that  year  the  Rev.  John  Evans  Finley,  from  Chester  County, 
Pennsylvania,  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  for  the  purpose  of  laboring 
with  the  Indians  and  Spanish.  He  preached  to  the  red  men  and 
baptized  several  of  them.  He  lived  a  while  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  when  he  thought  he  might  be  forced  to  do 
military  duty  in  the  Spanish  army,  he  returned  to  the  east,  at 
least  resided  afterwards  in  Ohio. 

The  Presbyterians  were  next  represented  by  two  licentiates, 
John  F.  Schemmerhorn  and  Samuel  Mills.  They  were  sent  into 
the  West  by  the  Presbyterian  Missionary  Board  of  New  Eng- 
land. They  reached  Illinois  in  1812.  In  making  reports  they 
say:  "There  is  no  Presbyterian  or  Congregational  minister  in 
Illinois.  There  are  a  number  of  good  people  who  are  anxious 
to  have  such  ministers  amongst  them.  They  likewise  wish  to 
be  remembered  by  the  Bible  and  Religious  Tract  Societies." 
They  seem  to  have  made  a  very  thorough  canvass  of  Illinois,  and 
later  went  with  Andrew  Jackson  from  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to 
New  Orleans  in  1813.     Their  reports  made  a  great  impression 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  369 

upon  Eastern  Presbyterians  as  to  the  needs  of  the  West.  They 
came  into  Illinois  by  way  of  Vincennes  and  Shawneetown.  "This 
territory  is  deplorably  destitute  of  Bibles.  In  Kaskaskia,  a  place 
containing  eighty  to  100  families,  there  are,  it  is  thought,  not 
more  than  four  or  five  Bibles.  In  the  fall  of  1814  they  visited 
Kaskaskia  and  held  a  conference  with  Governor  Edwards  about 
organizing  a  Bible  society  for  Illinois.  "We  did  not  find  any 
place  in  the  territory  where  a  copy  of  the  scriptures  could  be 
obtained."  The  Reverend  Mills  was  in  Illinois  and  conferred 
with  Judge  Griswold  of  the  Territorial  Court  about  organizing 
the  Bible  society.  While  in  Shawneetown  Mr.  Mills  was  told  by 
one  that  he  had  tried  for  fifteen  years  to  obtain  a  Bible  and  had 
not  succeeded.  In  the  reports  sent  back  East  by  these  mission- 
aries, they  call  attention  to  the  wickedness  of  Shawneetown. 
They  say  the  town  is  subject  to  floods  from  the  Ohio  and  to 
worse  floods  of  impiety  and  iniquity. 

These  reports  give  us  a  good  picture  of  the  country  in  relation 
to  other  matters  than  Presbyterianism.  They  say  that  six  miles 
from  Kaskaskia  there  were  forty  families  constituting  an  Asso- 
ciate Reformed  congregation.  Kaskaskia  had  100  families,  two- 
thirds  of  which  were  French  Catholics.  There  were  no  Baptists 
or  Methodists  about  Kaskaskia,  but  several  churches  in  St.  Clair 
County,  to  the  north.  The  report  says  that  "The  majority  (of 
the  people  in  Illinois),  though  by  no  means  regardless  of  religion 
have  not  yet  embraced  any  fixed  sentiments  respecting  it — 
hence  every  kind  of  heretical  preachers  in  the  country  flock  to 
the  new  settlements.  Hence  also  the  Baptist  and  Methodist  de- 
nominations are  exerting  themselves  to  gain  a  footing  in  the  ter- 
ritories." 

Norton's  "History  of  the  Presbyterian  Churches  in  the  State 
of  Illinois"  says  that  in  1815  "One  ordained  minister  had  landed 
in  Kaskaskia,  a  Rev.  Mr.  McGready,  had  preached  a  few  times 
in  White  County  and  three  licentiates  had  traveled  across  the 
territory."  No  church  had  been  located  and  no  Presbyterian 
preacher  had  been  located  within  the  territory. 

The  Rev.  James  McGready  organized  the  first  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Illinois.  It  was  known  as  the  Church  of  Sharon. 
This  was  in  the  fall  of  1816.  The  membership  was  made  up  of 
people  from  Georgia,  Tennessee,  and  Kentucky.  The  Reverend 
McGready  died  in  1818  or  1819.  Shortly  after  this  two  brothers, 
William  and  John  Barnett,  Coumberland  Presbyterians,  came 
into  the  region  of  the  Sharon  Church  and  preached.  This  broke 
up  the  membership  of  the  Sharon  Church.  Some  of  the  Sharon 
people  joined  the  new  organization,  but  later  deserted  it.  The 
new  church  was  called  Hopewell,  and  was  two  miles  from  En- 
field. 

Benjamin  Spillman  moved  into  Illinois  in  September,  1817. 
The  name  of  Spillman  is  very  closely  associated  with  Presby- 


370  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

terianism  in  Illinois.  It  is  thought  that  before  1820  there  were 
only  a  few  regularly  established  Presbyterian  churches  in  East- 
ern Illinois,  one  at  Sharon,  in  White  County,  and  one  at  Gol- 
conda,  established  in  1819. 

A  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  on  Shoal  Creek  by  Rev. 
Salmon  Giddings  in  1819.  It  was  four  miles  north  of  Green- 
ville, Bond  County.  Mr.  Giddings  preached  often  in  Kaskaskia, 
and  on  occasions  at  the  Irish  settlement,  sixteen  miles  east  of 
Kaskaskia,  a  church  was  organized  at  Edwardsville  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Giddings.  A  lady  who  came  to  Edwardsville  in  1817  says: 
"When  I  came  to  Edwardsville,  in  1817,  I  could  find  no  pro- 
fessor of  religion  in  that  place,  and  for  eighteen  months  no 
sermon  was  preached  there.  I  lived  to  see  a  church  of  nine  mem- 
bers, and  (later)  increased  to  thirty."  The  Rev.  Nathan  Darrow 
organized  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  Golconda,  October  24,  1819. 
There  were  sixteen  members.  James  E.  Willis  was  made  the 
first  elder. 

The  foregoing  brief  account  describes  the  activities  of  the 
Presbyterians  in  Illinois  prior  to  1820. 

Educational  Progress 

We  have  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  most  of  the  people 
who  came  to  Illinois  were  from  states  where  free  schools  were 
not  popular.  The  large  part  of  the  early  settlers  were  therefore 
illiterate.  Prior  to  the  coming  of  George  Rogers  Clark  the 
efforts  to  educate  the  people  were  very  meager.  There  was  some 
sort  of  institution  founded  by  the  Jesuits  in  Kaskaskia  as  early 
as  1721.  But  this  religious  order  was  suppressed  by  order  of 
the  French  Government  in  1763,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  the 
school  established  in  1721  did  much  toward  the  work  of  educa- 
tion after  1763.  Certainly  the  general  level  of  educational  stand- 
ing was  at  a  low  ebb  when  the  country  passed  into  the  hands  of 
General  Clark  in  1778.  In  1790,  when  General  St.  Clair  had 
come  to  Kaskaskia  to  organize  a  semblance  of  government  there, 
he  was  greatly  disappointed.  General  St.  Clair  had  great  dif- 
ficulty in  picking  out  men  who  could  hold  the  simple  offices,  such 
as  justice,  constable,  clerk,  or  sheriff.  He  stated  that  "not  a 
fiftieth  man  can  read  or  write."  That  would  be  2  per  cent.  A 
population  in  which  98  per  cent  were  illiterate  is  sadly  deficient 
in  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  It  should  be  stated  that  any 
system  of  education  which  may  be  considered  in  the  Illinois 
country  has  reference  only  to  the  Americans. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  many  of  the  soldiers  who  came 
with  Clark  in  1778  eventually  were  mustered  out  and  returned 
to  their  homes  in  Kentucky,  Virginia  or  other  of  the  older  states. 
The  short  stay  in  the  Illinois  country  had  made  them  acquainted 
with  the  possibilities  which  the  future  would  develop  in  Illinois. 
The  rich  soil,  the  abundance  of  timber,  the  animal  life,  the  won- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  371 

derful  springs,  creeks,  and  rivers  all  constituted  a  lure  which 
the  men  could  not  withstand.  And  so  it  was  only  a  few  short 
years  before  the  more  progressive  of  Clark's  heroes  began  to 
return  to  the  hills,  valleys,  and  prairies  of  the  Illinois  country. 
We  are  indebted  to  Governor  John  Reynolds  for  what  we  know 
of  the  Illinois  country  just  after  the  days  of  George  Rogers 
Clark.  Governor  Reynolds,  a  boy  of  eleven  years,  came  from  his 
Tennessee  home  in  1800.  He  made  his  home  in  the  American 
Bottom,  and  was  personally  acquainted  with  everybody  who 
lived  in  St.  Clair  and  Randolph  counties.  He  was  very  well 
educated  and  had  a  real  insight  into  historical  values.  In  the 
following  paragraphs  we  have  therefore  followed  the  facts  as 
given  by  Governor  Reynolds. 

The  Return  of  Claek's  Men 

In  1781,  while  the  Revolutionary  war  was  still  in  progress, 
five  heads  of  families,  with  their  wives  and  children,  made  their 
way  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  descended  the  Ohio,  and  by 
the  exercise  of  much  muscular  energy  and  great  patience  they 
ascended  the  Mississippi  River,  probably  disembarking  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  whence  they  passed,  a  part  to  the  high  ground  near  the 
present  city  of  Waterloo  and  the  rest  to  the  bottom  lands  just 
west  of  Waterloo.  Two  of  these  pioneers  had  served  with  Clark 
in  his  campaigns  against  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  and  Vincennes. 
These  men  were  James  Moore,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  Robert  Kidd, 
Larkin  Rutherford,  and  James  Garrison.  Kidd  and  Rutherford 
were  soldiers  with  Clark.  Mr.  Kidd  lived  in  the  American  Bot- 
toms, near  Fort  Chartres,  till  1849.  Mr.  Rutherford  lived  later 
in  St.  Clair  County,  north  of  Belleville,  for  many  years.  Thomas 
Brady  and  William  Arundel  were  the  only  two  non-French 
people  in  Cahokia  prior  to  1788. 

By  1783  there  were  forty-five  American  families  in  Illinois. 
In  1791  there  were  sixty-five  Americans  who  could  bear  arms. 
After  1783  the  American  settlers  came  in  larger  numbers  and 
settlements  were  built  up  in  what  is  now  Monroe,  Randolph,  and 
St.  Clair  counties.  The  first  man  to  teach  school  in  Illinois  was 
Samuel  John  Seeley.  His  first  school  was  in  1783.  He  taught 
at  New  Design.  Probably  the  second  teacher  was  Francis  Clark, 
who  appeared  as  early  as  1785,  and  the  next  teacher  was  an 
Irishman  named  Halfpenny.  He  was  occupied  in  teaching  for 
many  years.  He  taught  in  so  many  different  places  that  he 
might  be  styled  the  schoolmaster  general  of  Illinois,  at  least  for 
that  day.  A  Mr.  John  Clark  was  a  preacher  as  well  as  a  teacher. 
He  was  a  Scotchman  and  was  well  educated.  Most  of  the 
teachers  gave  instruction  in  the  common  branches  only,  but  Mr. 
Clark  taught  higher  mathematics,  philosophy,  etc. 

These  men  who  have  been  named  as  teachers  occupied  the 
educational  stage  toward  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 


372  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tury.  There  were  no  standards,  no  one  spoke  with  authority 
educationally.  The  teacher's  preparation  was  of  course  very 
limited.  There  were  few  books  that  could  be  used  as  texts. 
Reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  were  the  chief  lines  of  study. 
The  teacher  would  board  about  in  the  neighborhood.  There  were 
no  schoolhouses  this  early.  Classes  were  taught  wherever  they 
could  assemble,  in  unoccupied  parts  of  dwellings,  abandoned 
cabins,  or  other  vacant  buildings.  There  was  no  equipment — 
no  maps,  globes,  blackboards,  text  books,  or  schoolroom  furni- 
ture. The  teacher  was  paid  a  small  fee  for  each  pupil  per 
month. 

"Madison  County  had  its  first  school  on  the  edge  of  the  Great 
American  Bottom  in  1804.  The  teacher,  John  Bradbury,  is  said 
to  have  been  faithful  but  not  learned.  John  Atwater  opened  a 
school  near  Edwardsville  in  1807.  He  came  from  Massachu- 
setts and  gained  a  reputation  as  a  good  teacher.  Six-Mile  had 
a  school  in  1805."  John  Messenger  was  probably  the  most  noted 
teacher  in  Illinois  in  the  first  and  second  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1771,  and  had  the 
advantage  of  good  schools  and  the  use  of  a  good  library.  He 
came  to  Illinois  in  1802  and  seems  to  have  settled  in  the  Amer- 
ican Bottom.  He  afterwards,  1804,  moved  to  New  Design,  where 
he  ran  a  mill,  and  afterwards  moved  to  "Clinton  Hill,"  a  few 
miles  northeast  of  Belleville.  He  was  a  natural  mathematician 
and  gave  instruction  in  surveying  to  many  people.  In  1815  he 
was  made  deputy  surveyor  general,  with  the  task  of  surveying 
the  military  tract,  the  land  between  the  Illinois  and  the  Missis- 
sippi rivers.  He  was  professor  of  mathematics  in  the  Rock 
Spring  Seminary,  which  the  Rev.  John  Peck  conducted  at  Rock 
Springs  in  1827. 

It  is  difficult  to  measure  the  value  of  the  very  crude  agencies 
of  a  common  school  education  which  flourished  in  Illinois  from 
1783  to  1818.  The  fact  that  there  were  those  who  could  and 
would  impart  instruction  to  illiterate  men  of  the  time  in  some 
measure  interprets  to  us  the  spirit  of  the  pioneer  times.  There 
was  that  spirit  of  helpfulness  in  social  life  as  we  have  seen  in 
the  physical  relations.  And  the  fact  that  men  and  women  would 
pay  out  money  to  these  teachers  proves  their  thirst  for  knowl- 
edge. There  were  better  days  ahead  for  these  people,  and  the 
foundations  of  those  better  days  were  being  laid  in  this  simple 
method  of  caring  for  the  education  of  the  common  people  in 
those  pioneer  days. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A  RETROSPECT    (Continued) 

The  Canadian  Contingent — A  Cultured  Family — Another 
Picture  —  Sociability  —  Amusements  —  Punishments 
— Newspapers — Centers  of  Settlement — Public  Men — 
Revolutionary  Soldiers — Interesting  Places. 

Early  Society  in  Illinois 

There  were  three  distinct  elements  in  the  early  population  of 
the  Illinois  country.  Prior  to  the  French  and  Indian  war  which 
closed  in  1763,  the  population  was  made  up  of  French  and  In- 
dians. The  Indians  contributed  nothing  to  the  advancement 
of  the  social  life  of  the  country.  In  fact  they  were  a  serious 
detriment  to  any  steps  that  might  have  been  taken  looking 
toward  an  improvement  in  social  conditions. 

The  Canadian  Contingent 

The  French  who  came  into  Illinois  in  the  earlier  years  were 
chiefly  from  Canada,  and  among  the  Canadians  there  were  few 
agencies  of  culture  and  refinement.  Parkman  says:  "Canada, 
the  offspring  of  the  Church  and  State,  nursed  from  infancy  in 
the  lap  of  power,  its  puny  strength  fed  with  artificial  stimu- 
lants, its  movements  guided  by  rule  and  discipline,  its  limbs 
trained  to  martial  exercise,  languished,  in  spite  of  all,  from 
the  lack  of  vital  sap  and  energy."  There  was  little  initiative 
in  the  mass  of  Canadian  citizens.  There  was  of  course  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  initiative  among  the  people,  but  it  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Church  and  the  State.  The  great  body  was  "ig- 
norant, light-hearted  Canadian  peasants  who  knew  nothing  and 
cared  nothing  about  popular  rights  and  civil  liberties.  Born 
to  obey,  they  lived  in  contented  submission,  without  the  wish  or 
the  capacity  for  self-rule."  They  were  full  of  adventure,  and 
the  chase  and  the  quest  for  the  furs  of  the  Indians  satisfied  in 
large  measure  the  spirit  of  restlessness  and  the  buoyancy  of 
their  physical  nature.  These  Canadian  French  built  no  real 
homes,  they  knew  no  family  altar,  they  dreamed  not  of  civil 
or  religious  liberty.  "In  the  evening  dance,  his  red  cap  mingled 
with  the  scalp-locks  and  feathers  of  the  Indian  braves;  or, 
stretched  on  a  bearskin  by  the  side  of  his  dusky  mistress,  he 
watched  the  gambols  of  his  hybrid  offspring  in  happy  oblivion 
of  the  partner  whom  he  left  unremembered  leagues  behind." 

373 


374  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

These  were  the  founders  of  villages,  the  builders  of  forts,  the 
planters  of  mission  posts,  and  the  pioneers  who  built  up  the 
first  crude  social  life  in  the  Illinois  country.  If  the  standards 
of  social  life  were  low  on  the  banks  of  the  Canadian  waters, 
they  were  lower  in  the  forests  of  southern  Illinois.  Here  were 
no  cities,  no  first-hand  communication  with  the  mother  land, 
and  little  or  no  oversight  of  Church  or  State.  The  villages 
were  truly  French  villages  up  to  1763.  The  only  effect  the  In- 
dians' presence  in  the  French  villages  was  to  drag  down,  never 
to  build  up.  The  social  life  of  these  people  was  one  of  pleasure. 
It  was  said  that  they  passed  much  of  their  time  in  singing, 
dancing,  and  gaming.  The  Frenchmen  married  the  Indian 
squaws  of  the  different  tribes  and  this  of  necessity  lowered  the 
tone  of  the  social  life.  The  population  became  mixed,  and  con- 
sequently degenerated.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  there 
were  many  illegitimate  children  born.  The  parish  records  lead 
one  to  suppose  this  for  the  records  often  show  that  children 
were  born  of  legitimate  marriages,  and  often  give  the  name 
of  the  mother  but  not  of  the  father.  The  following  is  copied 
from  the  parish  records  of  the  St.  Anne  Church : 

"In  the  year  1743,  on  the  28th  of  December  of  the  same  year, 
I,  the  undersigned,  N.  Laurent,  priest,  missionary  apostolic,  I 
baptized  in  the  absence  of  M.  J.  Gagnon,  missionary  of  St. 
Anne's  Parish  of  Fort  Chartres,  a  daughter,  born  in  the  same 
month  and  day  mentioned  above,  of  the  legitimate  marriage  of 
Andrew  Thomas  des  Jardins  and  of  Marie  Joseph  Larett — . 

"Laurent,  P.  M.  Ap." 

The  common  people,  that  is,  the  French  villagers  in  Illinois, 
were  unambitious,  lazy,  unconcerned  about  providing  for  the 
future.  They  were  kind  hearted,  generous,  and  happy,  much 
devoted  to  their  church.  They  yielded  to  circumstances,  were 
pliant  and  accommodating. 

The  French  homes  were  usually  one  story  high  with  thatched 
roof  of  straw  or  grass.  The  walls  were  made  of  posts  set  in 
the  ground  to  form  a  rectangle.  The  walls  were  white-washed 
within  and  without,  the  houses  making  an  attractive  contrast 
with  the  abundance  of  green  of  the  summer  time.  The  yards 
were  fenced  in  with  a  picket  fence.  The  French  women  and 
Indian  squaws  were  attentive  to  flowers  about  the  yard  and  to 
fruit  trees  in  the  rear  of  the  cabin. 

It  was  into  surroundings  thus  described  that  the  Americans 
came  following  the  conquest  by  Clark.  Only  the  boldest  and 
most  courageous  of  the  people  of  the  older  states  came  into 
Illinois  in  the  earliest  days.  A  careful  observer,  who  was  a 
citizen  of  the  state  as  early  as  1820,  Mr.  Robert  W.  Paterson, 
has  said  that  the  early  comers  were  of  two  classes — a  sort  of 
adventurous  class  who  desired  to  continue  to  live  in  a  new 
country  and  therefore  were  obliged  to  move  on  as  civilization 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  375 

and  polite  society  came  on;  and  second  a  class  of  people  who 
had  been  forced  out  of  the  older  states  especially  the  slave 
states,  by  the  fact  of  having  to  compete  with  slave  labor.  They 
wished  to  own  land  and  to  plant  a  permanent  home,  and  this 
could  not  be  done  in  the  older  states.  Strangely  enough  these 
two  classes  lived  together  very  agreeably.  The  first  class  did 
not  care  for  the  frills  and  superfluities  of  refined  life  and  the 
second  could  not  afford  them,  so  they  very  agreeably  adopted 
methods  that  were  congenial  to  each  other.  Of  course  it  must 
not  be  inferred  that  there  were  no  people  who  were  uncultured 
and  uneducated.  There  were  many  such  people.  Judge  Charles 
P.  Kane  of  Springfield  has  given  a  very  pleasing  account  of  the 
marriage  of  Martha  Stillman  and  Philo  Beers  in  1820  in  a 
log  cabin  near  the  present  City  of  Springfield,  then  in  Madison 
County. 

A  Cultured  Family 

The  Stillman  family  had  removed  from  Western  New  York 
to  Illinois  by  way  of  Morganfield,  Kentucky,  where  they  win- 
tered in  1819-20.  In  the  spring  of  1820  they  reached  the  San- 
gamon country  where  they  built  a  log  house  of  moderate  dimen- 
sions, into  which  they  moved  the  precious  things  they  had 
brought  from  Western  New  York.  "What  furniture  had  been 
conveyed  from  New  York  was  disposed  about  the  rude  man- 
sion with  such  taste  and  skill  as  graduates  from  the  seminaries 
of  Junius  and  Aurora,  under  the  circumstances,  might  display, 
and  things  were  made  as  comfortable  as  possible;  but  the  result 
was  so  disappointing,  that  Mother  Stillman  sat  upon  the  side 
of  the  bed,  hid  her  face  in  her  hands  and  allowed  the  tears  to 
fall  unrestrained.  Her  children  began  to  realize  in  much  dis- 
may the  sacrifice  she  had  made  for  them  in  undertaking  the 
life  of  a  pioneer  of  a  century  ago."  One  of  the  daughters, 
Martha  Stillman,  was  married  in  the  spacious  parlor  of  this 
log  cabin.  Over  the  puncheon  floor  spread  with  a  soft  matting 
of  straw,  had  been  laid  an  ingrain  carpet.  On  one  side  of  the 
room  stood  a  small  piano  of  primitive  design  and  construction, 
which  upon  the  exodus  from  Canandaigua  had  been  bereft  of 
its  legs  for  convenience  of  transportation.  The  deficiency  was 
supplied  by  brother  Stephen,  who  cut  a  sappling  of  suitable 
size  into  proper  lengths,  peeled  off  the  bark  and  stained  the 
glistening  wood  to  resemble  the  body  of  the  instrument,  and  our 
piano  stood  once  more  upon  a  proper  footing.  On  another  side 
of  the  room  stood  a  tall  narrow  mirror,  framed  in  guilt  and 
reaching  from  the  floor  nigh  to  the  ceiling,  gaily  bedecked  the 
clay-daubed  wall  and  blithely  reflected  the  smiling  faces  of  the 
merry  company.  In  the  middle  of  the  apartment  was  placed 
a  center  table  of  oak  having  a  curious  foot,  deftly  carved  in 
imitation  of  a  huge  pineapple.    These,  with  other  less  conspicu- 


376  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

ous  articles  of  furniture,  were  reminders  of  the  eastern  home 
abandoned  the  year  before." 

The  wedding  dress  was  of  fine  white  jaconet,  cut  low  in  the 
neck,  with  short  puffed  sleeves,  waist  no  longer  than  the  sleeves, 
gathered  into  a  belt  from  which  a  gored  skirt  fell  to  the  floor, 
terminating  in  a  generous  flounce  of  the  same  material.  The 
"second  day  dress"  was  made  of  lilac  silk,  fashioned  as  a  trav- 
eling suit  and  ornamented  with  two  rows  of  silk  covered  but- 
tons running  down  the  front  and  extending  over  the  shoulders. 
The  material  of  the  two  dresses  was  brought  from  the  East 
along  with  the  piano,  the  mirror,  and  the  oak  center-table.  The 
feast,  spread  before  the  guests,  was  provided  from  the  delicacies 
which  nature  furnished.  Of  delicious  meats  there  was  an  abun- 
dance of  venison,  turkey,  prairie  chicken,  quail,  squirrel,  and 
fish ;  wild  honey,  fruits  and  nuts.  The  perplexing  thing  was  the 
supply  of  bread  and  pastries.  These  must  be  made  from  flour 
or  meal,  ground  in  the  nearest  mill  which  was  at  Edwardsville; 
eighty  miles  distant. 

These  details  have  been  given  to  warn  us  against  the  too 
prevalent  notion  that  there  was  no  wealth,  education,  or  cul- 
ture to  be  found  in  the  humble  homes  in  Illinois  in  the  early 
days. 

Another  Picture 

The  social  standards  of  this  new  country,  however,  were  set 
not  by  such  homes,  and  such  people  as  the  Stillmans,  but  rather 
by  the  men  and  women  who  knew  nothing  of  silks  and  satins, 
pianos,  carved  center-tables,  and  plate-glass  mirrors.  But  by 
those  who  raised  flax,  wool,  and  hemp  from  which  the  women 
folk  carded,  spun,  and  wove  the  coarse  fibered  clothing  for  the 
family.  By  men  and  women  who  went  into  the  forests  for  the 
wild  grapes,  the  nuts,  the  fowls,  the  fishes,  and  the  furs.  These 
men  and  women  lived  close  to  nature  and  nature  in  turn  boun- 
tifully supplied  their  every  want.  The  homes  were  self-suffic- 
ing, or  in  case  there  were  those  less  fortunate,  the  spirit  of 
social  helpfulness  easily  supplied  the  deficiencies.  The  cloth 
which  was  woven  in  the  home  was  often  dyed  with  materials 
which  never  saw  a  chemical  factory.  The  bark  of  certain  trees, 
the  hulls  of  walnuts,  butternuts,  together  with  a  bit  of  madder 
and  a  simple  mordant  gave  color  and  permanency  to  the  dyer's 
art. 

Most  of  the  clothing  was  therefore  made  on  the  farm  or  in 
the  village  home.  Shoes  or  moccasins  were  made  in  the  home 
from  the  leather  which  was  the  product  of  a  neighborhood  tan- 
nery. Till  much  later  than  the  period  of  which  we  now  write, 
the  summer  hats  for  both  men  and  women  were  plaited  and 
sewed  from  the  straws  from  the  farm  or  from  the  wild  grasses. 
Bonnets  were  made  for  the  older  women  of  light  cloth  supported 
by  small  strips  of  cardboard  inserted  into  narrow  cases  run- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  377 

ning  from  front  to  back  in  the  bonnet.  An  essential  article 
about  every  pioneer  home  was  the  hunter's  rifle.  This  served 
two  important  purposes.  One  was  that  of  protection.  From 
1800  to  1815  there  was  constant  danger  from  prowling  Indians. 
Even  after  the  close  of  the  second  war  with  England,  and  the 
signing  of  treaties  with  the  several  tribes  in  Illinois,  there  was 
no  guarantee  from  Indian  violence.  The  farmer  was  therefore 
amply  justified  in  keeping  close  at  hand  his  faithful  rifle.  He 
often  took  it  with  him  as  he  went  into  the  fields  to  work  or  as 
he  was  in  the  timber.  Two  guns  were  often  kept  and  the  wives 
and  daughters  were  often  good  marksmen.  Then  the  rifle  was 
the  means  by  which  the  table  was  kept  in  many  kinds  of  food. 

There  have  been  some  questions  as  to  the  moral  standards 
which  were  maintained  in  the  pioneer  life  in  Illinois.  Some 
have  thought  that  because  the  restraints  of  polite  society  were 
not  present  that  there  may  have  been  a  common  disregard  of 
the  best  standards  of  social  purity.  Doctor  Patterson,  who  lived 
in  Bond  County  prior  to  the  close  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  says  that  breaches  of  social  purity  were  very 
rare.  The  minor  vices  of  swearing,  gambling,  drunkenness,  and 
dishonesty  were  observed,  but  these  even  were  not  common. 
He  thinks  that  these  shortcomings  were  greatly  held  in  check 
by  the  strong  religious  sentiment  which  prevailed  in  most  of  the 
communities  with  which  he  was  acquainted.  There  were  of 
course  violations  of  well  established  rules  of  conduct.  There 
were  roughs  and  rowdies  in  many  communities  and  the  agencies 
of  correction  were  often  brought  into  exercise,  but  the  general 
tone  of  social  life  was  pitched  upon  an  elevated  plane. 

The  courtships  preceding  the  assumption  of  the  marriage 
relation  was  a  simple  yet  interesting  period  of  young  people's 
lives.  There  were  no  moving  pictures  to  supplement  a  faint 
heart,  no  auto-joy-rides  to  make  one  dizzy,  no  round  dances 
to  bridge  the  chasm  between  the  young  couple.  The  only  way 
was  to  regard  the  whole  procedure  as  a  matter-of-fact  sort 
of  affair.  The  father  and  mother  and  the  kids  all  acted  as 
chaperones.  Marriages  were  solemnized  by  a  justice  of  the 
peace  or  some  county  official  as  the  preachers  were  not  very 
plentiful.  The  young  married  couple  went  to  housekeeping  with 
the  minimum  amount  of  furniture  and  kitchen  equipment.  Beds 
were  provided  by  boring  large  augur  holes  in  the  walls  of  one 
corner  of  the  log  house;  one  hole  six  feet  from  the  angle,  an- 
other about  four  feet  from  the  corner.  Into  these  were  driven 
two  poles,  one  about  six,  the  other  about  four  feet  long.  A 
post  was  erected  where  the  two  poles  came  together  and  after 
making  the  poles  secure  to  it,  slats  were  laid  across  the  rect- 
angular space  or  rope  was  woven  back  and  forth  till  a  foun- 
dation was  made.  Then  the  straw  tick  was  placed  on  the  rope 
or  slats.     One  of  the  gifts  of  the  mother  to  her  daughter  was 


378  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

a  feather  bed.  But  often  this  could  not  be  provided;  in  that 
case  the  straw  bed  must  suffice.  Not  more  than  one  or  two 
chairs  were  to  be  found  in  the  new  home.  These  were  usually 
the  handiwork  of  the  father  of  one  of  the  contracting  parties. 
Tables  were  likewise  the  product  of  the  skill  of  one  of  the 
fathers.  The  cooking  outfit  was  simplicity  itself.  A  frying 
pan  and  a  "Dutch  oven"  often  constituted  the  kitchen  set. 
Gourds  served  the  purpose  of  dippers,  cups,  jars  and  recepta- 
cles generally.  There  were  no  buckets,  but  there  were  piggins 
which  were  much  like  buckets,  but  without  a  bail.  Usually  one 
of  the  staves  extented  six  or  eight  inches  above  the  others  and 
served  as  a  handle.  The  piggins  were  usually  made  of  cedar 
and  often  exhibited  considerable  skill  in  the  handling  of  tools. 
Thus  equipped  with  home-made  bed,  chairs,  table,  and  simple 
cooking  vessels,  the  young  couple  began  a  happy  and  useful 
life. 

The  most  marked  social  characteristic  of  the  early  people  was 
that  of  hospitality.  The  southern  states  among  the  old  "thir- 
teen" early  gained  a  wide  reputation  for  their  kindly  hospital- 
ity. This  hospitality  was  not  patented  by  the  poor  people  of 
the  south,  it  was  a  marked  characteristic  of  the  planter  life. 
Of  course  it  should  be  understood  that  the  extension  of  hospi- 
tality by  the  planter  was  always  to  those  of  his  social  class, 
while  the  poor  people  of  the  south  were  equally  hospitable  to  all. 

Sociability 

However,  the  poor  whites  of  the  south  very  naturally  had 
comparatively  few  opportunities  to  show  their  generous  na- 
tures to  the  planter  class  at  least  in  a  social  way.  Few  planters 
came  to  Illinois  from  the  Southern  States,  the  great  mass  of 
Southern  people  who  did  come  were  of  the  humbler  sort.  There 
are  many  things  in  common  among  people  who  settle  a  new 
country  and  these  common  things  make  for  common  concerns 
in  many  other  ways.  One  thing  in  common  with  all  settlers 
was  a  desire  to  better  their  condition.  There  were  common 
dangers — the  Indians  and  wild  beasts  were  no  respecters  of 
persons.  There  were  common  dangers  from  the  diseases  and 
ailments  which  frequent  a  newly  settled  country.  There  were 
common  hardships.  The  winters  were  severe  alike  to  rich  and 
poor.  It  required  patience  alike  of  the  well-to-do  and  of  the 
poor  man.  There  must  be  patient  waiting  for  the  coming  of 
the  seasons,  for  the  increase  in  the  flocks,  for  the  transform- 
ing of  the  virgin  soil  to  the  cultivated  fields. 

These  things  make  for  mutual  hospitality.  These  things  break 
down  the  barriers  between  individuals  and  between  communi- 
ties. These  common  elements  in  the  life  of  the  people  solidify 
the  people.  They  make  it  easy  to  centralize  effort,  to  solve 
common  problems,  and  to  overcome  common  obstacles. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  379 

The  stranger  who  is  traveling  through  the  country  today  finds 
among  the  people  a  lack  of  that  form  of  sociability  which  the 
stranger  would  have  found  in  the  first  part  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. In  the  days  of  the  log  cabin  and  the  puncheon  floor,  no 
traveler  was  ever  denied  the  shelter  and  the  food  which  was 
necessary  to  one  in  need  of  them.  This  was  as  true  of  the  well- 
to-do  who  back  in  the  older  states  would  have  belonged  to  the 
planter  class,  as  it  was  to  the  humble  folk.  "Hospitality  of 
home  and  hearth,  table  and  bed  was  quite  universal."  In  fact 
there  was  a  remuneration  which  the  plain  people  received  from 
the  traveler  if  he  were  intelligent  and  had  had  a  wide  experi- 
ence in  his  perambulations.  There  were  no  newspapers,  no 
way  by  which  the  doings  of  the  world  outside  of  the  restricted 
area  of  the  local  neighborhood,  might  be  known,  and  it  was 
worth  all  it  cost  to  entertain  the  well  informed  traveler. 

Among  these  people  who  came  to  the  door  of  the  humble 
pioneer  home  was  the  Irish  linen  peddler  otherwise  the  "pack 
peddler."  This  method  of  bringing  imported  goods  to  the  in- 
land villages  and  communities  was  common  in  the  first  half  of 
the  last  century.  It  was  no  uncommon  sight  in  the  early  days 
to  see  a  strong  son  of  Erin  with  a  large  pack  on  his  back, 
trudging  his  weary  way  along  the  better  traveled  roads,  stop- 
ping at  the  houses  and  with  the  permission  of  the  lady  of  the 
house,  displaying  a  wealth  of  wares  direct  from  the  land  of  the 
"ould  sod."  If  he  were  permitted  to  show  his  stock,  he  laid 
his  pack  on  the  floor,  untied  the  four  corners  of  an  outer  canvas 
and  unwrapped  with  much  care  the  attractive  articles — table 
linens  of  the  most  artistic  weave,  scarfs,  towals,  table  mats, 
handkerchiefs,  and  often  articles  of  woolen  or  silk  materials. 
At  prices  which  this  traveling  store  keeper  asked  for  his  goods, 
he  carried  many  scores  of  dollars  worth  of  material.  If  he 
remained  over  night  with  a  family  he  used  all  his  arts  to  pay 
his  bill  with  some  article  from  his  pack. 

Amusements 

Amusements  were  of  various  kinds  in  the  different  sections  of 
the  settled  parts  of  the  country.  From  the  earliest  days  horse 
racing  was  a  common  diversion.  This  pastime  was  brought 
from  the  older  states,  especially  in  Kentucky  this  form  of 
amusement  was  very  generally  engaged  in  as  it  is  to  this  day. 
The  humor  of  raising  fine  horses  was  noticed  as  early  as  1795. 
George  Rogers  Clark  when  he  came  to  Kaskaskia  in  1778  found 
the  French  were  raising  a  very  small  farm  horse  which  he  called 
ponies.  The  breed  was  of  Spanish  origin  and  came  into  the 
Illinois  country  from  the  Southwest.  As  soon  as  the  Americans 
began  to  arrive  they  introduced  a  larger  breed  of  farm  horses, 
and  as  early  as  1800  there  were  breeds  introduced  adapted  to 
use  as  saddle  horses  and  as  driving  horses.     In  1793  Col.  Wil- 


380  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

liam  Whiteside  came  into  what  is  now  Monroe  County  from 
Kentucky,  though  formerly  from  North  Carolina.  He  had  re- 
mained long  enough  in  Kentucky  to  acquire  the  love  of  fine 
horses.  In  1795  he  brought  from  Kentucky  a  celebrated  blooded 
horse  of  the  Janus  stock.  In  the  early  days  judges  of  horse 
flesh  said  this  was  the  finest  horse  ever  seen  in  Illinois.  This 
horse  sired  many  colts  in  the  country  that  became  noted  race 
horses  as  time  went  on.  In  1803  a  famous  race  was  run  be- 
tween two  horses  both  sired  by  Colonel  Whiteside's  Janus.  The 
owners  made  heavy  bets  on  their  horses.  The  race  was  to  be 
three  miles  and  return.  The  race  took  place  on  Horse  Prairie, 
a  rich  undulating  region  some  five  miles  southeast  of  Red  Bud. 
There  was  a  settlement  there  in  1803  of  some  dozen  families. 
The  race  drew  great  numbers  of  people  from  St.  Clair  and 
Randolph  counties.  Governor  Reynolds  was  a  boy  of  thirteen 
and  attended  the  race.  He  states  that  one-third  of  the  male 
population  of  the  territory  was  present,  together  with  hundreds 
of  the  fairer  sex.  The  race  was  won  by  Sleepy  Davie.  The 
winner  became  a  very  well  known  horse  throughout  the  terri- 
tory. Governor  Reynolds  says  these  famed  races  served  a  great 
end  socially.  He  compares  them  to  the  Olympic  games  in  Greece 
where  all  Greece  sent  her  representative  citizens  who  exchanged 
ideas  with  others  and  returned  home  to  spread  new  ideas  and 
to  build  up  new  ideals. 

In  addition  to  the  advantages  socially  of  these  gatherings, 
there  were  other  good  results.  Often  at  these  races  where 
hundreds  of  people  assembled  there  were  business  transactions 
of  various  kinds.  Debts  were  paid,  stock  bought  and  sold,  elec- 
tioneering in  later  times,  and  all  forms  of  amusements  such  as 
foot-racing,  wrestling,  jumping,  and  shooting-matches  were  in- 
dulged in.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  -those  who  had  an  eye  to 
business  to  set  up  temporary  trading  stands  where  liquors  were 
sold,  and  luncheons  were  served.  Governor  Reynolds  thinks 
at  this  time  that  there  were  not  to  exceed  three  thousand  souls 
within  the  Illinois  territory. 

Punishments 

Some  forms  of  punishment  were  extremely  cruel.  Branding 
was  not  a  common  form  of  punishment  but  it  was  practiced. 
Whipping  was  very  common.  The  pillory  and  the  stocks  were 
used.  Other  forms  were  imprisonment,  fines,  loss  of  citizenship, 
and  temporary  slavery. 

Some  of  the  crimes  and  misdemeanors  enumerated  in  the 
laws  of  the  Indiana  and  the  Illinois  Territory  were  treason, 
murder,  arson,  rape,  burglary,  robbery,  forgery,  perjury,  lar- 
ceny, Sabbath-breaking,  profanity,  disobedience  of  parents, 
drunkenness,  cock-fighting,  gambling,  duelling,  and  bribery. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  381 


Newspapers 


There  were  two  newspapers  in  Illinois  Territory  prior  to  the 
admission  of  Illinois  into  the  Union.  The  first  one  established 
was  The  Illinois  Herald.  This  paper  was  founded  in  Kaskaskia 
as  early  as  1809,  so  Reynolds  says.  The  proprietor  was  Mathew 
Duncan,  a  brother  of  Joseph  Duncan  who  was  governor  of  Illi- 
nois from  1834  to  1838.  Mathew  Duncan  was  from  Kentucky, 
and  belonged  to  a  very  prominent  family.  There  is  a  lack  of 
information  as  to  the  date  of  the  first  publication  of  this  paper. 
The  oldest  copy  on  file  bears  date  April  18,  1816.  It  is  number 
32,  volume  2.  It  has  been  worked  out  and  shown  that  if  the 
publications  were  weekly  and  continuous,  the  first  issue  would 
have  been  published  September  6,  1814.  The  Missouri  Repub- 
lican which  was  established  in  1808  has  no  mention  of  The  Illi- 
nois Herald,  1814.  The  two  towns  were  neighbors  and  it  would 
seem  that  the  Republican  would  have  said  something  if  the 
paper  was  running  prior  to  1814.  In  1817  the  Herald  was  sold 
to  Daniel  P.  Cook  and  Robert  Blackwell.  The  name  was  changed 
to  The  Illinois  Intelligencer.  Daniel  P.  Cook  was  a  brilliant 
young  statesman  and  a  successful  lawyer.  He  had  been  in 
politics  and  had  served  as  auditor  of  public  accounts.  Cook 
assumed  the  editorship  while  Blackwell  had  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness end  of  the  enterprise.  At  first  the  paper  was  a  folio  of 
three  columns  to  a  page,  the  new  proprietors  changed  it  to  a 
four-column  sheet.  When  the  capital  was  moved  from  Kaskas- 
kia to  Vandalia  in  1820,  the  paper  was  moved  and  continued 
as  The  Illinois  Intelligencer.  When  the  slavery  fight  came  in 
1823-4,  the  Intelligencer  was  opposed  to  slavery  and  therefore 
opposed  the  convention. 

The  second  newspaper  established  in  Illinois  was  called  The 
Illinois  Emigrant.  In  later  years  the  name  was  once  more 
changed  to  The  Shawneetown  Gazette.  This  paper  was  against 
slavery  in  Illinois. 

Centers  of  Settlement 

In  populating  a  new  country  there  are  certain  methods  that 
seem  to  be  fitted  to  accomplish  the  ends  in  view.  When  Illinois 
first  attracted  the  attention  of  the  American  settlers,  just  at 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  there  were  already  five 
or  more  centers  of  settlement — probably  others.  These  in  order 
from  south  to  north  were  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  New 
Chartres,  St.  Phillipes,  Prairie  du  Pont,  and  Cahokia.  These 
were  all  French  settlements  and  contained  few  if  any  Americans. 
The  first  comers  came  out  of  Kentucky  or  over  the  northern 
Appalachians  and  down  the  Ohio.  Those  coming  directly  out 
of  Kentucky  crossed  over  the  Ohio  at  either  Golconda  or  Shaw- 
neetown and  made  their  way  across  Southern  Illinois  towards 


382  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  French  settlements  along  the  Mississippi  River.  Those  who 
came  down  the  Ohio  from  Pittsburg  could  debark  either  at 
Shawneetown  or  Golconda,  or  continue  on  down  the  Ohio  and 
thence  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia. 

In  going  from  Golconda  or  Shawneetown  to  the  French  set- 
tlements, it  was  necessary  to  have  a  road  over  which  wagons 
or  carts  could  travel.  These  roads  followed  the  old  Indian  trails 
and  were  worked  out  before  1800.  John  Reynolds  says  that 
when  his  father  with  two  wagons  and  eight  horses  reached  the 
Ohio  River,  on  his  way  from  Tennessee  to  Kaskaskia,  he  found 
the  river  full,  and  a  beautiful  stream.  The  ferry  was  known 
as  Lusk's  Ferry.  They  encamped  for  the  night.  Here  they 
were  deserted  by  three  hired  hands  and  felt  alone  on  the  edge 
of  a  wilderness.  On  a  beautiful  Sunday  morning  they  crossed 
the  river  and  began  a  journey  of  one  hundred  miles  or  more 
to  Kaskaskia.  They  soon  reached  a  road  from  Fort  Massac  to 
Kaskaskia.  Here  they  found  the  trees  scalped  and  the  number 
of  miles  from  Fort  Massac  cut  with  an  iron  instrument  and 
painted  red.  Another  road  from  Miles  Ferry,  some  seven  miles 
above  Golconda,  ran  to  Kaskaskia,  almost  parallel  to  the  one 
from  Golconda  to  Kaskaskia.  This  road  was  opened  by  one 
Capt.  Nathaniel  Hull,  who  in  company  with  several  other  Rev- 
olutionary soldiers,  left  Massachusetts,  came  down  the  Ohio  to 
a  place  called  Ford's  Ferry.  Here  he  landed  and  cut  a  road 
to  Kaskaskia.  Ford's  Ferry  was  afterwards  called  Hull's  Land- 
ing and  later  Miles  Ferry.  It  was  at  Miles  Ferry  that  James 
Lemen  landed  with  a  company  which  afterwards  settled  at 
Bellefontaine,  Monroe  County. 

In  the  very  early  days  there  was  no  settlements  between  Gol- 
conda and  Kaskaskia.  But  settlements  grew  up  and  became 
very  well  known  along  these  roads.  The  Jourdan  settlement 
and  the  settlement  which  grew  into  Mount  Vernon  are  two 
illustrations.  The  Hacker  settlement  in  Union  County  is  an- 
other illustration.  The  Goshen  settlement  near  Edwardsville 
is  one  in  point.  The  Whiteside  settlement  is  another.  Turkey 
Hill  is  an  illustration.  It  was  near  Belleville.  Phelps  Prairie 
was  an  early  center.  Herrin's  Prairie  was  an  early  settlement. 
Rock  Springs  the  home  of  John  Peck  is  an  example.  Shoal 
Creek  in  Bond  was  early  settled.  Wanboro  was  a  settlement- 
center.  Equality  in  Gallatin,  Alabama  settlement  in  Union 
County,  Allison's  Prairie,  near  Vincennes,  Badgley's  settlement, 
five  miles  northwest  of  Belleville. 

Public  Men 

Before  taking  up  the  steps  which  Illinois  took  to  get  in  the 
Union  let  us  recall  the  men  who  have  had  to  do  with  preparing 
Illinois  for  statehood.  Some  of  the  men  whose  names  are  con- 
sidered in  this  list  were  active  in  Illinois  after  the  state  came 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  383 

into  the  Union,  but  they  also  had  to  do  with  Illinois  history- 
prior  to  1818. 

Prominent  Men 

In  a  retrospect  of  the  history  of  Illinois  from  the  viewpoint 
of  1818,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  recall  the  names  of  men  who 
helped  to  bring  Illinois  to  the  proud  moment  of  statehood.  It 
is  not  our  intention  to  attempt  any  full  description  of  the  life 
and  public  services  of  the  prominent  people  named  below. 
Merely  to  recall  in  a  very  general  way  the  more  important 
things  these  people  did.  These  men  named,  with  others  not 
named,  are  entitled  to  our  sincerest  thanks  for  giving  their 
time  and  energy  to  laying  the  foundations  of  a  great  civil  and 
political  state. 

The  names  are  not  arranged  in  alphabetical  order,  nor  are 
they  arranged  in  order  of  time,  but  were  arranged  in  a  sort 
of  hit  and  miss  order. 

John  Edgar  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  was  well  schooled. 
In  the  Revolutionary  war  he  was  a  British  naval  commander 
on  the  Great  Lakes.  Toward  the  close  of  the  struggle  he  gave 
up  his  position  and  made  his  way  into  the  American  lines  where 
he  became  acquainted  with  General  La  Fayette.  He  later  came 
to  Kaskaskia.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  means.  He  came 
to  Kaskaskia  in  1784.  Here  he  bought  up  large  quantities  of 
land  and  became  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  Illinois 
region.  He  served  in  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  of  the  Northwest  Territory  which 
met  at  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  1799.  He  served  as  a  judge  in  the 
Illinois  Territory.  He  was  a  major-general  of  the  Illinois  mi- 
litia, receiving  his  appointment  from  the  President.  General 
Edgar  and  his  wife  lived  in  a  fine  old  brick  mansion  just  in 
the  edge  of  Kaskaskia  and  were  the  most  noted  people  in  the 
Illinois  Territory.  General  Edgar  was  the  worshipful  master 
of  the  first  lodge  of  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  in  Illi- 
nois, chartered  in  1806.  He  entertained  General  La  Fayette 
when  that  distinguished  guest  visited  Kaskaskia  in  1824.  He 
died  in  1832. 

John  Doyle,  too,  was  an  Irishman.  He  taught  school  about 
New  Design  as  early  as  1790.  He  was  a  soldier  with  Colonel 
Clark  and  returned  to  the  Illinois  country  as  early  as  1780. 

Pontiac,  an  Indian  chief,  became  a  national  character  at  the 
close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  He  was  an  Ottawa  chief 
who  conceived  the  idea  of  organizing  a  confederacy  of  all  the 
Northwestern  tribes  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  the  occupation 
of  the  Northwest  by  the  British.  He  kept  the  British  from 
occupying  some  of  the  western  posts  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
It  required  a  large  British  army  to  suppress  the  uprising  and, 
even  then  Pontiac  was  very  loathe  to  desist.     He  was  finally 


384  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

placated.  He  was  murdered  in  the  village  of  Cahokia  in  1769 
and  buried  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Nathaniel  Pope,  the  father  of  Gen.  John  Pope  of  the  Civil 
war,  was  the  first  secretary  under  Ninian  Edwards,  governor 
of  the  Illinois  Territory.  He  was  connected  with  a  family  of 
distinction  in  Kentucky.  He  came  into  the  upper  Louisiana 
country  in  1804.  He  lived  at  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  from  1804, 
to  1809.  He  was  highly  educated,  especially  was  he  gifted  in 
language.  He  was  a  lawyer  of  marked  ability,  and  of  admirable 
traits  of  character.  In  1809  he  was  made  secretary  of  the 
Illinois  Territory.  In  1816  he  was  elected  a  delegate  in  Con- 
gress where  in  1818  he  directed  the  movements  for  the  admis- 
sion of  Illinois  into  the  Union.  The  details  have  been  given  in 
a  preceding  chapter. 

Father  Claude  Allouez  was  a  priest  who  was  prominent  in 
the  days  of  La  Salle.  He  was  familiar  with  the  Indians  about 
the  Great  Lakes  as  early  as  1675.  He  reported  the  need  of  ex- 
plorations to  the  governor  of  Canada  and  is  said  indirectly  to 
have  been  responsible  for  Joliet  and  Marquette's  journey  into 
the  Illinois  country.  He  was  not  friendly  to  La  Salle  and  was 
thought  by  some  to  have  caused  La  Salle's  ill  fortune. 

Lieutenant  Boisbriant,  the  first  military  commandant  of  the 
Illinois  country,  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in  the  summer  of  1718. 
He  had  charge  of  a  company  of  French  soldiers.  He  proceeded 
up  the  Mississippi  and  built  Fort  Chartres  some  four  miles 
northwest  of  Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  fort  was  a  wooden  struc- 
ture and  stood  till  1755.  Lieutenant  Boisbriant  made  the  first 
grant  of  land  to  be  held  in  "fee  simple"  that  was  made  in  Illi- 
nois. This  was  a  grant  about  three  miles  wide  and  extending 
back  into  the  country  a  distance  of  six  miles,  and  made  to  Phil- 
lipe  Francois  de  Renault.  Boisbriant  was  made  acting  governor 
of  Louisiana  in  1725.  He  left  Fort  Chartres  in  charge  of  Cap- 
tain de  Liette  and  took  up  the  duties  of  his  new  post  at  New 
Orleans. 

John  Mason  Peck  was  a  mission  worker  in  the  Baptist  Church. 
He  was  a  Connecticut  Yankee  who  came  to  Illinois  in  1817.  He 
spent  some  time  in  Illinois  and  later  moved  to  Missouri  where 
he  stayed  a  year  or  more  when  he  returned  to  Illinois.  The 
great  work  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peck  was  done  after  Illinois  came 
into  the  Union,  but  he  was  identified  with  the  Illinois  country 
enough  before  1818  to  justify  our  putting  him  in  the  group  of 
territorial  worthies.  We  shall  speak  of  him  more  fully  in  the 
following  chapters. 

Shadrach  Bond,  the  first  governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  his  coming  to  Illinois  was  pre- 
ceded by  that  of  his  uncle,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.  The  elder  Bond 
arrived  in  the  American  Bottom  opposite  New  Design  in  1781. 
He  had  been  a  soldier  with  General  Clark  in  the  conquest  of 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  385 

Illinois  in  1778.  In  conjunction  with  other  immigrants  coming 
from  Maryland,  the  elder  Bond  built  a  fort  in  the  bottoms  west 
of  the  present  City  of  Waterloo.  He  held  many  places  of  honor 
and  responsibility.  He  was  a  sort  of  preacher,  and  was  an  ex- 
emplary citizen.  Shadrach  Bond,  Jr.,  a  nephew  of  the  elder 
Bond,  came  to  his  uncle's  home  in  the  bottoms  in  1794.  He 
was  a  substantial  citizen  and  the  life  of  the  social  group  of 
which  he  was  a  part.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  War  of 
1812,  was  a  delegate  in  Congress  in  1813-15  and  was  the  author 
of  the  pre-emption  law  as  has  been  explained.  In  1818  he 
was  the  only  candidate  for  governor.  His  later  life  will  be 
noticed  later  in  this  work. 

John  and  William  Bradsby  were  soldiers  of  the  Revolution. 
They  settled  three  miles  north  of  Lebanon  in  the  edge  of  Look- 
ing Glass  Prairie.  They  were  from  Kentucky  and  were  for- 
merly from  Ireland.  They  were  the  parents  of  a  large  number 
of  children  many  of  whom  were  prominent  in  the  middle  of  the 
last  century. 

Zadoc  Casey's  father  was  an  Irish  emigrant  before  the  Rev- 
olutionary war.  He  came  to  North  Carolina  and  fought  under 
Marion  and  Sumter  in  the  conflict  in  the  Southern  States.  Za- 
doc was  born  in  1796,  married  in  1815,  came  to  Illinois  in  1817, 
and  settled  at  Mount  Vernon  in  Jefferson  County  in  that  year. 
He  is  credited  with  the  founding  of  that  thriving  city.  He  was 
the  ancestor  of  a  large  number  of  people.  He  held  many  public 
offices  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  the  people.  He  was  elected 
lieutenant-governor  in  1830,  when  John  Reynolds  came  into 
office  as  governor.    He  was  later  elected  to  Congress. 

George  Rogers  Clark  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  Novem- 
ber 19,  1752.  His  early  life  was  genuinely  pioneer.  He  re- 
ceived little  or  no  education,  lived  on  the  frontier,  was  accus- 
tomed to  the  savage  Indian  and  the  wild  animals,  was  schooled 
in  the  hard  experiences  of  the  times,  and  was  ready  for  the 
kind  of  work  his  country  offered  him  in  1778.  He  came  into 
Kentucky  early  in  1775  and  took  an  active  part  in  making 
preparations  for  the  defense  of  that  country  against  the  sav- 
ages. He  drilled  the  militia  at  Harrod's  Station  and  at  Boons- 
boro  and  was  recognized  as  the  best  military  commander  in 
Kentucky.  Clark  was  a  delegate  from  the  settlements  in  Ken- 
tucky to  the  Virginia  Legislature.  He  was  well  known  by  Jef- 
ferson, Henry,  Mason  and  other  noted  Virginians.  In  1778 
he  was  given  authority  by  Virginia  to  invade  the  West  and 
capture  what  was  supposed  to  be  British  strongholds — Kaskas- 
kia,  Vincennes,  and  Detroit.  His  great  success  from  1778  to 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  is  so  well  known  that  it  need 
not  be  repeated  here.  Clark  was  sadly  disappointed  in  not 
being  able  to  lead  an  army  against  Detroit.  From  the  day  of 
his  dramatic  campaign  against  Vincennes  in  the  early  part  of 

15V1 


386  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1779,  his  fame  began  to  decrease.  He  was  given  to  periods 
of  moroseness  and  lost  his  grip  on  men  and  affairs.  Thomas 
Jefferson  personally  proposed  at  one  time  about  1783  to  send 
Colonel  Clark  on  an  exploring  tour  across  the  western  part  of 
what  is  now  the  United  States.  The  project  fell  through,  but 
Colonel  Clark's  brother  made  the  trip  for  Jefferson  in  1803. 
Clark  lived  near  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  his  later  days  his  own 
worst  enemy.    He  died  February  18,  1818. 

Joseph  Duncan  was  the  fifth  governor  of  Illinois.  He  was 
a  Kentuckian  and  had  the  advantage  of  an  early  life  in  the 
cultured  City  of  Paris.  He  was  a  minor  officer  with  General 
Harrison  in  his  invasion  of  Canada  in  the  War  of  1812.  He 
was  voted  a  sword  by  Congress  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  war. 
He  came  into  Illinois  and  settled  at  the  foot  of  Fountain  Bluff 
in  Jackson  County,  in  1818.  There  accompanied  him  his  broth- 
er, Dr.  John  S.  Duncan,  a  sister,  Polly  Anna,  his  mother  who 
had  married  a  Mr.  Moore,  and  her  son  Ben.  The  Duncans 
brought  several  slaves  to  Illinois  with  them  in  1818.  Joseph 
Duncan  built  the  "White  House"  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
River  and  also  erected  a  mill  for  grinding  grain.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  Legislature  in  1825  and  introduced  a 
bill  to  establish  a  free  school  system.  This  system  will  be  dis- 
cussed in  a  later  chapter,  as  will  the  life  and  labors  of  Gov- 
ernor Duncan. 

Thomas  C.  Browne,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Shawneetown, 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  came  to  Shawneetown  in  1812, 
and  began  the  practice  of  law.  Reynolds  says  court  was  held 
on  two  boats  moored  to  the  bank.  There  were  no  houses  in 
which  to  hold  court.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Legis- 
lature in  1814,  prosecuting  attorney  for  several  eastern  coun- 
ties, later  a  member  of  the  Legislative  Council  (or  Senate).  In 
1818  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  as  a  member  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  which  position  he  held  for  about  thirty  years. 

Ephraim  Conner  was  the  first  American  settler  in  Madison 
County.  He  located  just  under  the  "Bluffs"  six  miles  south  and 
west  of  the  present  City  of  Edwardsville.  This  region  was 
visited  in  1799  by  the  Rev.  David  Badgley  and  others  who  called 
the  country  Goshen.  This  name  was  restricted  to  the  settle- 
ment made  by  Connor.  Mr.  Connor  sold  his  possessions  to 
Col.  Samuel  Judy  in  1801. 

Samuel  Judy  came  into  Illinois  in  1788  with  his  father,  Jacob 
Judy,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and  migrated  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  Maryland.  He  resided  four  years  in  Kaskaskia 
and  then  moved  to  New  Design.  It  was  here  his  son,  Col.  Sam- 
uel Judy,  married  into  the  Whiteside  family  and  later  bought 
out  Ephraim  Conner  and  moved  to  Goshen  where  he  lived  many 
long  years.  Colonel  Judy  was  an  Indian  fighter  and  engaged 
in  two  famous  personal  conflicts  in  each  of  which  he  came  out 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  387 

the  victor.  He  served  in  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  a  successful  farmer 
and  stock  raiser,  but  suffered  great  loss  by  the  ravages  of  "milk- 
sickness."  He  was  one  of  the  three  trustees  of  the  first  peni- 
tentiary, at  Alton. 

John  Clark  was  an  early  school  teacher.  He  was  a  Scotch- 
man, was  well  educated.  He  taught  about  Kaskaskia  prior  to 
1790.  He  gave  instruction  in  higher  mathematics  and  philoso- 
phy. 

Ninian  Edwards  was  the  territorial  governor  of  Illinois  Ter- 
ritory from  1809  to  1818.  He  was  a  Marylander,  born  in  1775. 
He  received  a  college  education.  He  moved  to  Kentucky  where 
he  entered  upon  the  study  of  law.  He  became  chief  justice  of 
the  Court  of  Appeal  which  position  he  resigned  in  1809  to  ac- 
cept the  governorship  of  the  Illinois  Territory.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  providing  defenses  for  the  people  of  the  terri- 
tory in  the  War  of  1812.  He  organized  the  militia,  built  forts 
and  blockhouses,  and  worked  admirably  with  the  United  States 
Government  in  protecting  the  people  from  the  attacks  of  the 
savage  red  man.  He  was  active  in  carrying  on  the  work  of 
admitting  the  Territory  of  Illinois  into  the  Union  as  a  state. 
He  was  one  of  the  new  state's  first  United  States  Senators.  In 
1826  he  was  elected  the  third  governor  of  Illinois.  He  died  in 
1833.  His  son,  Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  married  Elizabeth  P. 
Todd,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Abraham  Lincoln. 

John  Messenger  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men  of  the 
early  days  in  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  in  1771. 
He  passed  his  early  years  on  a  farm  but  gave  diligent  attention 
to  the  science  of  mathematics,  studying  under  William  Coit, 
a  noted  mathematician  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  very  prac- 
tical. He  not  only  knew  scientific  farming,  but  he  was  well 
versed  in  several  trades  as  carpentry,  millwright,  and  the  pro- 
fession of  surveying.  He  migrated  to  Illinois  and  settled  at 
New  Design  and  operated  a  mill  a  few  miles  east  of  that  village. 
In  1815  he  was  appointed  a  deputy  United  States  surveyor  and 
did  quite  a  deal  of  work  in  the  military  tract,  the  land  between 
the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  rivers.  He  also  surveyed  con- 
siderable tracts  in  St.  Clair  County.  In  1827,  at  the  opening  of 
Rock  Springs  Seminary,  he  was  installed  as  the  professor  of 
mathematics. 

William  Rector  was  the  oldest  brother  in  a  very  noted  fam- 
ily of  nine  brothers  and  four  sisters.  They  were  Virginians. 
Reynolds  says  they  were  a  peculiar  family,  "ardent,  excitable, 
and  enthusiastic  in  their  dispositions.  They  were  passionate, 
fearless,  but  true  hearted.  They  were  given  to  military  dis- 
play and  one  of  them,  Capt.  Nelson  Rector,  went  into  battle  in 
the  War  of  1812  dressed  in  a  rich  and  gaudy  uniform.  Wil- 
liam Rector  was  a  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  United  States 


388  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

rangers.  Thomas  Rector  killed  Joshua  Barton  on  Bloody  Island, 
opposite  St.  Louis,  about  1814.  Nelson  Rector  accompanied 
Col.  Zachary  Taylor  into  Wisconsin  on  a  military  expedition 
about  1814.  One  of  the  nine  brothers  was  later  governor  of 
Arkansas. 

William  Biggs  was  one  of  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark's  gallant 
Marylanders  in  the  Illinois  campaign  of  1778.  He  held  the 
position  of  lieutenant  in  the  campaign.  Congress  recognized 
his  services  and  granted  him  three  sections  of  land.  After  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  left  his  Maryland  home  and 
in  company  with  two  brothers  he  came  to  Bellefontaine,  near 
New  Design.  Shortly  after  returning  to  Illinois,  probably  about 
1788,  he  and  a  neighbor  named  Vallis  were  attacked  by  Indians 
on  the  road  to  Cahokia.  Vallis  was  killed  and  Biggs  was  cap- 
tured and  carried  away  to  the  Wabash  northeast  of  Vincennes. 
He  was  badly  treated  by  his  captors  and  was  almost  unable  to 
walk  when  he  got  to  the  Indian  camp  on  the  upper  Wabash. 
He  was  ransomed  by  a  Spanish  trader  who  was  afterwards 
repaid  for  his  outlay.  He  was  a  plain  man,  but  full  of  business, 
and  entirely  dependable.  He  was  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  County 
in  1790.  He  served  in  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  the  North- 
west Territory  which  convened  at  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Indiana  Legislature  in  1808.  He  also  held 
the  office  of  county  judge.  He  manufactured  salt  on  Silver 
Creek  in  Madison  County.  He  was  one  of  Illinois's  most  re- 
spected pioneers. 

Thomas  E.  Craig  was  a  citizen  of  Shawneetown,  and  served 
as  captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  gained  more  notoriety  than 
fame  in  conducting  an  expedition  from  the  south  end  of  Illinois 
to  Peoria  where  he  captured  several  men,  women,  and  children 
whom  he  brought  to  a  point  below  Alton  where  they  were  or- 
dered from  his  boat  to  find  shelter  and  food  in  the  woods.  He 
wrote  an  elaborate  report  to  Governor  Edwards  about  the  ex- 
pedition. 

Francis  Vigo  was  a  Sardinian  and  a  Spanish  subject  but  no 
one  individual  rendered  more  service  to  Gen.  George  Rogers 
Clark  and  to  the  American  cause  than  Vigo.  He  sold  goods 
to  Clark  for  his  army  and  took  the  Virginian  continental  paper 
money  at  par.  He  also  guaranteed  its  value  to  others  who  had 
goods  to  sell  to  Clark.  He  was  a  citizen  of  St.  Louis  at  the 
time  he  rendered  Clark  such  valuable  service.  But  in  his  later 
years  he  lived  near  Vincennes.  His  help  to  Clark  is  described 
in  the  story  of  Clark's  capture  of  Vincennes  told  in  a  previous 
chapter.  In  his  last  years  he  was  often  in  want  and  his  needs 
were  ministered  to  by  neighbors.  At  the  same  time  the  United 
States  owed  him  about  $20,000  for  money  and  goods  he  had  ad- 
vanced to  General  Clark.  He  used  to  say,  "I  guess  the  Lord 
has  forgotten  me." 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  389 

Nicholas  Jarrot  was  a  native  of  France,  a  member  of  a  prom- 
inent family,  a  gentleman  of  education  and  culture.  He  left 
France  and  finally  reached  Cahokia  by  way  of  New  Orleans,  in 
1794.  He  had  no  means  when  he  landed  at  Cahokia  and  was 
without  friends,  but  he  later  became  the  richest  man  probably 
in  Illinois.  He  never  was  idle.  He  took  no  vacations.  His 
greatest  pleasure  was  work.  He  found  time  to  serve  the  state 
as  major  of  militia.  He  began  business  as  soon  as  he  landed 
in  Cahokia.  He  engaged  in  trade  with  the  Indians  and  sent 
his  boats  as  far  away  as  Prairie  du  Chien.  He  kept  a  store  in 
Cahokia  and  marketed  his  furs  in  New  Orleans.  He  took  an 
honorable  part  in  the  War  of  1812,  supplying  his  troops  with 
needed  articles  from  his  own  purse.  He  acquired  large  hold- 
ings in  land,  and  held  stock  in  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Landing  on 
the  Illinois  side  of  the  Mississippi.  Among  other  things  he  was 
interested  in  building  mills,  and  he  did  not  always  use  good 
judgment  as  to  the  location  of  his  mill.  Major  Jarrot  built  a 
fine  brick  house  in  Cahokia — said  to  have  been  the  first  brick 
house  in  St.  Clair  County.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Barbeau  of 
Prairie  du  Rocher,  who  died  after  the  birth  of  her  first  son. 
Major  Jarrot  then  married  a  Miss  Beauvais  of  Ste.  Genevieve. 
This  lady  is  said  to  have  been  a  woman  of  great  culture  and  is 
said  to  have  been  of  great  help  to  her  husband  in  many  of  his 
profitable  undertakings. 

James  Andrews  and  his  wife,  three  daughters,  James  White, 
and  Samuel  McClure  settled  a  few  miles  northwest  of  Water- 
loo, Monroe  County,  prior  to  the  year  1786.  There  were  few 
white  people  in  that  region  at  that  time.  In  the  year  just  men- 
tioned, the  Indians  began  what  appeared  to  be  a  well  laid  plan 
of  extermination.  The  red  devils  fell  upon  the  home  of  James 
Andrews,  whom  they  killed,  together  with  his  wife,  one  daugh- 
ter, and  James  White  and  Samuel  McClure.  The  other  two 
daughters  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews  were  carried  away  into 
captivity.  One  of  the  daughters  died  in  captivity,  the  other 
was  ransomed  by  some  French  traders.  This  was  the  first  real 
massacre  of  American  settlers  by  the  Indians.  It  was  a  great 
shock  to  the  few  settlers  who  were  in  the  settled  parts  of  Illi- 
nois, and  it  aroused  them  to  the  great  danger  they  were  con- 
tinually facing.  This  sad  incident  stimulated  the  whites  to 
the  work  of  defense,  and  forts  and  blockhouses  were  erected  in 
every  neighborhood,  and  the  people  provided  for  guards  to  be 
on  duty  in  each  neighborhood  day  and  night. 

David  Badgley,  a  Baptist  preacher,  came  from  Virginia  to 
the  New  Design  settlement  as  early  as  1796.  In  that  summer, 
he  with  the  help  of  Joseph  Chance,  organized  the  first  Baptist 
church  in  New  Design.  So  many  Baptists  had  come  to  New 
Design  that  the  membership  of  the  church  when  first  organized 
was  twenty-eight.     A   few  years   later  he   organized   another 


390  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Baptist  Church  i"  the  American  Bottom  of  fifteen  members. 
He  was  what  we  call  a  revivalist,  and  did  a  great  work  in  the 
pioneer  times. 

Black  Partridge,  a  prominent  Pottawattomie  chief,  was  with 
his  tribe  at  Fort  Dearborn  when  the  garrison  of  that  fort  was 
massacred.  He  wore  a  medal  given  him  by  Americans  for 
some  act  of  kindness.  This  he  took  from  his  breast  and  gave 
it  to  Captain  Heald,  saying  he  could  no  longer  wear  it  since 
his  people,  the  Pottawattomies,  had  determined  upon  taking  the 
lives  of  his  friends,  the  people  in  the  fort.  On  the  field  of  mas- 
sacre Black  Partridge  rescued  Mrs.  Heald  from  the  clutches 
of  a  savage  who  was  striving  to  take  her  life.  Black  Partridge 
not  only  rescued  her,  but  accompanied  her  back  to  her  home 
near  the  fort.  He  not  only  did  this  but  he  guarded  with  all 
faithfulness  the  whites  who  were  saved  from  the  massacre. 
His  home  was  in  an  Indian  village  at  the  head  of  the  Peoria 
Lake. 

Pierre  Menard  was  the  first  lieutenant-governor  of  Illinois. 
He  was  born  in  1767.  He  came  from  Canada  to  Vincennes  in 
1786.  He  was  one  of  three  brothers,  all  natives  of  Quebec. 
They  belonged  to  a  very  prominent  family.  Pierre  attached 
himself  to  Colonel  Vigo  in  the  Indian  trade.  This  trade  was 
partly  supplying  the  American  troops  in  the  West  with  food 
supplies.  In  1790  Pierre  and  one  Du  Bois  of  Vincennes  entered 
into  a  partnership  and  established  a  store  in  Kaskaskia.  Pierre 
Menard  was  a  very  conspicuous  character  among  the  men  of  his 
time.  He  had  been  well  educated  in  Canada,  but  his  experiences 
in  the  world  had  greatly  developed  his  judgment  and  enlarged 
his  outlook  on  life.  He  commanded  great  respect  from  the 
white  people  who  knew  him,  and  the  Indians  looked  to  him  as 
their  white  father.  Menard  grew  very  wealthy  and  commanded 
the  trade  with  the  Indians  and  whites  from  Kaskaskia.  He 
served  in  the  Territorial  Legislatures  of  both  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois, presiding  with  great  dignity  over  the  council  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  1812.  When  the  state  was  admitted  into  the  Union 
in  1818  he  was  selected  lieutenant-governor  which  position  he 
held  for  four  years.  He  was  a  patriotic  citizen  and  laid  stress 
upon  the  value  of  the  civil  and  political  institutions  under  which 
he  lived.  He  lived  in  great  style  in  an  old  French  mansion  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Kaskaskia  River  opposite  the  town  of  Kas- 
kaskia. Towering  above  his  home  were  the  great  bluffs  on 
top  of  which  are  the  remains  of  the  old  fort  called  Fort  Gage. 
Just  back  of  his  house  is  the  spring  from  which  flows  a  con- 
siderable stream  just  as  it  did  in  the  happy  days  of  1800.  He 
raised  a  very  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters  whose  descend- 
ants are  to  be  found  in  Randolph  County.  In  the  home  of  a 
relative  of  Pierre  Menard  some  few  hundred  yards  from  the 
old  mansion  are  several  pieces  of  old  French  furniture  which 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  391 

would  make  the  eyes  of  the  "old  furniture"  connoisseur  open 
with  wonder.  But  the  owner  seems  to  know  the  value  of  these 
priceless  articles.  Pierre  Menard  died  in  1844,  aged  seventy- 
seven  years. 

The  La  Trappe  Monks  were  a  strange  religious  order  which 
came  into  the  American  Bottom  in  1809  and  occupied  what  we 
now  know  as  Monk's  Mound  situated  some  five  or  six  miles 
northeast  of  the  present  City  of  East  St.  Louis.  They  had  pre- 
viously lived  in  Kentucky  and  a  portion  of  them  resided  in 
Missouri,  but  in  the  year  1810  they  commenced  the  erection  of 
buildings  on  the  largest  of  a  score  or  more  of  the  mounds  which 
are  found  in  the  locality  indicated.  The  principal  building  was 
a  monastery  which  was  of  considerable  dimensions — built  of 
timbers.  These  monks  were  excellent  mechanics,  and  gave  con- 
siderable attention  to  the  different  breeds  of  stock.  They  found 
the  locality  very  unhealthful  and  several  of  their  number  died, 
including  two  of  their  priests.  Two  vows  were  perpetual  silence 
and  celibacy.  Reynolds,  who  often  was  at  their  monastery, 
said  they  were  so  averse  to  females  that  a  woman  was  not  al- 
lowed on  their  premises,  and  should  one  trespass,  they  quickly 
swept  the  ground  where  she  had  walked.  If  a  visitor  should 
try  to  talk  with  them  they  made  signs  that  he  could  get  infor- 
mation at  a  certain  place  on  the  grounds.  They  slept  on  the 
bare  stone  floor  and  fared  on  bread  and  water.  Each  day  each 
one  dug  a  part  of  his  grave.  They  were  poorly  clad  but  were 
fat  and  hearty.    They  left  the  Mound  in  1812. 

James  Lemen  was  a  man  to  whom  the  people  of  Illinois  are 
much  indebted.  He  was  a  Virginian.  He  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  served  with  Washington 
in  the  campaign  about  New  York.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1786 
shortly  after  his  father-in-law,  Capt.  Joseph  Ogle,  had  come 
West.  He  first  made  Kaskaskia  his  home  but  subsequently  re- 
moved to  New  Design.  He  had  always  been  of  a  very  religious 
turn,  but  was  not  a  professed  Christian  till  he  came  under  the 
influence  of  the  Rev.  James  Smith,  who  preached  in  New  De- 
sign in  the  summer  of  1787.  Mr.  Lemen  became  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church  and  a  fearless  preacher  of  that  faith. 
The  Rev.  .James  Lemen  was  the  father  of  six  sons  and  two 
daughters.  The  sons  were  Robert,  Joseph,  James,  William,  Jo- 
siah,  and  Moses.  They  all  brought  up  large  families  and  were 
all  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  This  family  took  an  active 
part  in  the  fight  against  the  introduction  of  slavery  in  Illinois 
in  1824. 

Isaac  White  was  the  United  States  agent  stationed  at  the 
salt  works  near  Equality  when  the  War  of  1812  was  brewing. 
He  was  formerly  a  resident  of  Vincennes  and  a  man  of  busi- 
ness capacity.  He  and  Governor  Harrison  were  intimate 
friends.     Governor  Harrison  as  territorial  governor  had  had 


392  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

control  of  the  salt  works  at  Equality  and  gave  attention  to  the 
leasing  of  the  wells  and  the  collection  of  the  rental.  In  1804 
Governor  Harrison  appointed  Isaac  White  the  agent  at  the 
works  whose  duty  it  was  to  collect  the  rentals  due  the  Govern- 
ment. As  the  rents  were  paid  in  kind  the  agent  must  ship  and 
market  the  part  that  fell  to  the  Government.  In  1806,  Governor 
Harrison  appointed  Mr.  White  captain  of  a  company  of  Knox 
County  militia  presumably  organized  about  the  salt  works  and 
about  Equality.  In  1809  Illinois  Territory  was  separated  from 
Indiana  Territory  and  Isaac  White  became  a  major  in  the  Illi- 
nois militia  and  still  later  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Third 
Regiment  consisting  of  two  battalions.  In  the  summer  of  1811 
Colonel  White  was  in  Vincennes  and  at  the  urgent  request  of 
Governor  Harrison  he  consented  to  accompany  the  expedition 
that  was  then  forming  to  attack  the  Indians  on  the  upper  Wa- 
bash. On  September  19,  1811,  he  was  raised  to  the  sublime 
degree  of  Master  Mason.  On  November  7,  1811,  Colonel  White 
and  Colonel  Daviess  both  fell  at  the  head  of  their  respective 
commands.  White  County  was  named  in  honor  of  Colonel  White. 
Conrad  Will  was  of  German  parentage.  His  parents  came 
from  Germany  as  early  as  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Conrad  was  born  in  1779,  studied  medicine,  prac- 
ticed in  Somerset  County  where  he  married  Susanah  Kimmelz 
in  1804.  He  visited  Illinois  in  1813,  stopping  awhile  at  Kas- 
kaskia  which  was  then  a  fairly  thriving  town.  He  rode  over 
the  settled  portions  of  Illinois  and  when  ready  to  return  to 
Pennsylvania,  he  bought  for  gold  a  drove  of  cattle  which  he 
drove  over  the  country  to  the  Pennsylvania  markets  making  a 
handsome  profit.  He  then  decided  to  move  to  Illinois  for  per- 
manent residence.  He  located  at  a  salt  spring  some  four  miles 
down  the  Big  Muddy  River  from  Murphysboro.  Here  he  pre- 
pared to  manufacture  salt  and  at  the  same  time  practice  medi- 
cine. He  returned  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  summer 
of  1816,  and  bought  thirty  cast  iron  kettles  weighing  400  pounds 
each  and  holding  sixty  gallons  of  water,  in  which  he  boiled 
down  the  salt  water.  He  was  instrumental  in  getting  Jackson 
County  organized.  This  was  done  in  1816,  and  the  capital  was 
fixed  at  Brownsville,  which  was  the  home  of  Doctor  Will,  at 
the  salt  works.  Brownsville  grew  to  be  a  flourishing  town. 
Doctor  Will  was  one  of  the  early  county  commissioners;  he 
kept  a  store,  practiced  medicine,  ran  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  and 
operated  a  tannery.  Doctor  Will  employed  slaves  in  his  salt 
works  under  the  indenture  system,  but  the  works  never  paid 
Doctor  Will  for  all  his  labor  and  trouble  and  he  discontinued 
the  making  of  salt  for  the  general  market,  and  operated  the 
works  as  a  sort  of  local  enterprise.  Doctor  Will  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1818,  the  other  delegate 
from  Jackson  County  was  James  Hall,  Jr.     Doctor  Will  took  a 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  393 

very  active  part  in  the  conduct  of  public  affairs  and  was  the 
associate  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  early  Illinois 
history.  He  was  a  very  active  man  and  though  not  succeeding 
financially,  he  lived  a  very  useful  life.  He  died  in  June,  1835. 
He  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  a  member  of  the  State  Senate. 

Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  early  Illinois 
history.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Lord  Balti- 
more. He  came  from  Maryland  to  the  west  as  eary  as  1803. 
In  that  year  he  settled  in  Indiana  Territory  and  in  1805  was 
speaker  of  the  Territorial  Legislature.  In  1809  he  was  a  dele- 
gate in  Congress  from  the  Indiana  Territory  pledged  to  secure 
the  separation  of  Illinois  from  the  Indiana  Territory.  This 
he  accomplished  and  while  in  Washington  secured  the  appoint- 
ment from  President  Madison  to  one  of  the  judgeships  of  the 
newly  organized  territory.  He  resided  first  in  Kaskaskia,  but 
later  joined  the  other  territorial  officials  at  the  county  seat  of 
"Elvirade"  not  far  from  Prairie  du  Rocher.  Later  he  moved 
to  Cahokia  where  he  built  and  operated  a  wool-carding  machine. 
He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  that  made 
the  Constitution  of  1818  and  presided  over  that  body.  He 
was  one  of  Illinois's  United  States  Senators  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  passage  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.  He  was  re- 
elected to  the  United  States  Senate  in  1823  and  served  till  1829. 
He  later  moved  from  Illinois  to  Ohio  where  he  is  said  to  have 
died  as  a  suicide. 

Charles  R.  Matheny  was  a  preacher  in  Illinois  as  early  as 
1806.  He  was  also  a  lawyer,  and  in  the  War  of  1812  he  was 
a  "ranger"  in  Capt.  James  B.  Moore's  company.  He  served  in 
the  Territorial  Legislature  representing  St.  Clair  County  in 
1816-18.  He  practiced  law  before  Judge  Jesse  B.  Thomas  and 
later  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  St.  Clair  County.  The  Rev. 
Charles  R.  Matheny  moved  to  Sangamon  County  in  1821  where 
he  was  circuit  clerk  of  the  court  till  1839.  He  left  five  sons 
and  three  daughters.  The  five  sons  have  all  held  honorable  and 
responsible  positions  in  business,  in  politics,  in  government, 
and  in  society. 

James  Moore  was  one  of  a  party  of  five  who  came  over  the 
Alleghanies  and  made  their  way  to  Kaskaskia  and  thence  to 
New  Design  as  early  as  1781.  Two  of  the  five  had  been  sol- 
diers with  Clark  in  1778-9.  Mr.  Moore  was  in  the  employ  of 
Gabriel  Cerre,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  St.  Louis.  In  this  capacity 
he  traveled  as  far  south  as  Nashville,  Tennesee.  The  Rev.  John 
Mason  Peck  regarded  Mr.  Moore  as  a  very  worthy  citizen.  His 
name  is  in  a  list  of  114  "heads  of  families"  who  are  entitled  to 
land  grants  of  400  acres  each  for  having  settled  in  Illinois  Ter- 
ritory prior  to  1788. 

John  Rice  Jones  was  a  Welshman,  having  been  born  in  Wales 
in  1759.     He  was  educated  at  Oxford  University  in  medicine 


394  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

and  law,  and  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1784  where  he  counted 
among  his  friends,  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin, 
and  Meyers  Fisher.  He  practiced  law  in  Philadelphia  a  year 
or  so,  then  came  over  the  mountains  and  down  the  Ohio.  At 
the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  he  found  George  Rogers  Clark  making 
up  an  army  to  go  against  the  Indians  on  the  Wabash.  He  vol- 
unteered and  the  expedition  reached  Vincennes  in  1786.  Here 
Mr.  Jones  was  stationed  for  the  next  four  years  in  a  govern- 
ment capacity.  In  1790  he  went  to  Kaskaskia  where  he  re- 
mained eleven  years.  He  then  returned  to  Vincennes  where  he 
received  the  appointment  from  Governor  Harrison  of  attorney- 
general  for  the  Indiana  Territory.  In  1808  he  returned  to  Kas- 
kaskia. At  this  time  he  is  said  to  have  been  very  rich.  He  did 
William  Biggs,  who  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians  on  the 
Wabash,  a  great  favor  by  securing  his  release  and  helping  him 
to  return  to  his  family  at  New  Design.  John  Rice  Jones  was 
one  of  the  earliest,  if  not  the  earliest,  English-speaking  lawyers 
in  the  Territory  of  Illinois.  He  was  the  father  of  several  sons 
all  of  whom  were  men  of  considerable  prominence  in  Western 
affairs. 

John  Reynolds  was  the  best  known  person  in  Illinois  in  the 
first  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania but  his  father  and  mother  had  migrated  from  Ireland 
in  1785.  Young  Reynolds  with  his  parents  came  into  Illinois 
by  way  of  Tennessee  where  they  tarried  a  few  years,  reaching 
Illinois  in  1800.  They  were  very  well-to-do  people.  The  son 
had  received  some  education  in  Tennessee  and  had  always  had 
the  assistance  of  his  father  and  mother.  They  reached  the 
Illinois  country  in  the  year  1800  at  Golconda  and  made  their 
way  to  Kaskaskia,  expecting  to  pass  beyond  the  Mississippi  and 
settle  on  Spanish  soil,  but  the  elder  Reynolds  found  that  he 
would  have  to  agree  to  bring  up  his  children  in  the  Catholic 
faith  before  the  Spanish  Government  would  allow  him  to  acquire 
land  and  settle  in  Louisiana.  He  therefore  settled  two  and  a 
half  miles  east  of  Kaskaskia  where  six  other  Americans  had 
already  settled.  The  son  was  sent  back  to  Tennessee  to  receive 
a  college  education.  He  studied  law  and  returned  in  time  to 
enter  the  "ranger"  service  in  the  War  of  1812.  Between  1815 
the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  the  admission  of  Illinois  into 
the  Union  he  was  getting  settled  in  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1817  he  married  a  French  lady  of  Cahokia  and  they  lived  hap- 
pily together  till  1834  when  she  died.  From  her  he  learned 
the  French  language  and  became  a  very  fine  conversationalist 
in  that  tongue.  He  seems  to  have  taken  no  part  in  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  but  when  the  government  was  set  in  op- 
eration, he  was  selected  as  one  of  the  four  judges  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  Reynolds  says  that  it  was  difficult  for  him  to 
assume  a  position  and  air  of  dignity  among  officials  and  lawyers 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  395 

with  whom  he  had  fought  Indians  and  engaged  in  the  social 
activities  of  a  pioneer  life.  Governor  Reynolds  served  on  the 
Supreme  bench  till  1824  and  was  not  reappointed  because  of 
his  stand  in  favor  of  slavery  in  the  fight  to  make  Illinois  a  slave 
state.  We  shall  hear  much  of  John  Reynolds  in  the  early  years 
of  Illinois  as  a  state. 

William  Morrison  belonged  to  a  very  notable  family  in  early 
Illinois  history.  He  came  from  -Pennsylvania  in  1790,  where 
he  was  born  in  Bucks  County  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war. 
He  is  said  to  have  had  a  limited  education,  but  to  have  had  a 
wide  experience  in  the  practical  affairs  of  life.  He  was  dig- 
nified and  cultured  beyond  the  average  successful  business  man 
of  his  day.  He  was  a  man  of  commendable  ambition  and  of 
wonderful  foresight.  He  came  to  Illinois,  and  to  Kaskaskia,  as 
one  of  the  firm  of  Bryant  and  Morrison  of  Philadelphia.  This 
firm  established  a  branch  office  and  store  in  Kaskaskia,  and 
from  this  place  carried  on  extensive  commercial  transactions 
as  far  away  as  Prairie  du  Chien,  Pittsburg,  New  Orleans,  and 
even  as  far  west  as  the  Rocky  Mountains.  There  were  local 
branch  stores  at  St.  Louis,  Cape  Girardeau  and  New  Madrid. 
The  firm  enjoyed  a  large  and  profitable  trade  with  the  Indians 
at  all  of  their  stores  and  warehouses.  Before  1800  he  was  en- 
couraging the  farmers  to  raise  wheat  which  he  bought  at  good 
prices.  This  was  ground  in  General  Edgar's  mill  on  the  east 
bank  of  Kaskaskia,  and  shipped  to  New  Orleans  for  export,  in 
flatboats  that  were  built  in  Horse  Creek  which  runs  through 
Monroe  and  empties  into  the  Kaskaskia  River  in  Randolph 
County.  He  built  and  lived  in  an  elegant  stone  mansion  in 
Kaskaskia.  In  the  War  of  1812,  he  had  Government  contracts 
for  the  furnishing  of  rations  for  the  troops  and  from  these  con- 
tracts he  seems  to  have  cleared  large  sums  of  money.  He  was 
very  much  given  to  public  enterprise  and  was  largely  respon- 
sible for  the  building  of  two  bridges  across  the  Kaskaskia,  one 
at  the  town  of  Kaskasia  and  one  at  Covington  in  Washington 
County.  Mr.  Morrison  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  was 
always  concerned  in  community  welfare.  He  was  in  the  best 
sense  a  lover  of  the  society  of  ladies  and  was  much  in  their  com- 
pany.   He  died  in  1837. 

Mrs.  Robert  Morrison,  the  wife  of  a  brother  of  William  Mor- 
rison, was  a  woman  of  rare  culture  and  education.  She  was 
a  native  of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  She  had  been  from  her  early 
youth  associated  with  the  best  people  of  that  ancient  city.  She 
was  of  a  romantic  turn  of  mind  and  that  accounts  for  her  com- 
ing to  the  west  in  1805  with  a  brother,  Colonel  Donaldson.  She 
married  Robert  Morrison  in  1806.  Mrs.  Morrison  reveled  in  the 
fields  of  poetry.  She  remodeled  in  verse  the  Psalms  of  David. 
She  wrote  in  both  prose  and  verse.    Some  of  her  writings  found 


396  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

their  way  into  the  classical  and  scientific  magazines  of  the  day. 
She  reared  an  interesting  family. 

William  Whiteside  and  quite  a  few  others  of  the  same  fam- 
ily name  came  from  North  Carolina  by  way  of  Kentucky  to 
Illinois  in  the  year  1793.  William  settled  near  New  Design. 
There  were  several  families  in  the  group  headed  by  William 
Whiteside  and  they  all  settled  in  the  region  of  the  village  of 
New  Design.  William  Whiteside  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  having  fought  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain. 
The  Whiteside  family  was  a  warm  hearted,  patriotic,  and  faith- 
ful family.  William  Whiteside  built  a  fort  just  north  of  New 
Design  on  the  road  to  Cahokia.  It  was  called  Whiteside's  Sta- 
tion. This  was  probably  one  of  the  best  known  places  of  safety 
in  the  country  in  1812-15.  Mr.  Whiteside's  military  training 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  gave  him  prominence  as  a  leader  in 
the  work  of  offensive  and  defensive  warfare.  Many  stories  are 
told  of  the  conflicts  with  the  Indians.  Mr.  Whiteside  received  the 
title  of  captain  probably  before  the  title  came  officially.  In 
1811  he  was  elected  colonel  of  militia  in  St.  Clair  County.  In 
the  War  of  1812,  the  Whitesides  were  very  active  and  the  rec- 
ords show  that  William  was  not  adverse  to  addressing  com- 
munications to  President  Madison  about  the  conduct  of  the  war. 
Following  the  War  of  1812,  Colonel  Whiteside  gave  his  attention 
to  his  farm  at  the  "Station."  Very  high  praise  is  given  to 
Colonel  Whiteside  by  Governor  Reynolds  who  knew  him  very 
well.  "His  frontier  life,  with  the  Indian  war  and  all  its  dan- 
gers and  perils  impending  over  him  for  many  a  year,  developed 
his  mind  and  made  him  a  grave,  reflecting  man."  He  died  at 
the  "Station"  in  1815,  remembered  and  mourned  by  the  whole 
population. 

John  Kinzie,  always  remembered  in  connection  with  the  Fort 
Dearborn  massacre,  was  born  in  Canada,  of  Scotch  parents,  at 
the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war.  From  Canada  young 
Kinzie  was  brought  to  Long  Island  to  attend  school.  He  ran  off 
from  school  and  returned  to  Quebec,  where  he  partially  learned 
the  silversmith  trade.  He  later  engaged  in  general  trade  at 
Detroit,  and  other  cities  about  the  lakes.  In  1804  he  and  his 
wife  and  a  child  made  the  journey  from  Detroit  to  Chicago  on 
horseback  through  the  woods  and  across  rivers.  They  followed 
an  Indian  trail  from  Detroit  through  Ypsilanti,  Niles,  and  St. 
Joseph,  and  around  the  southerly  bend  of  the  lake  to  the  newly 
established  Fort  Dearborn.  They  camped  each  night  and  the 
journey  must  have  been  a  long  tiresome  one  for  a  woman  and  a 
six  months  old  child.  When  he  arrived  at  Fort  Dearborn  he 
bought  a  small  hut  from  a  French  trader  by  the  name  of  Le  Mai. 
This  hut,  originally  a  trading  station,  was  improved  from  time 
to  time  and  eventually  became  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinzie. 
This  hut  which  became  by  enlargement  and  improvement  the 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  397 

spacious  home  of  the  Kinzies  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Chicago  River  just  opposite  the  fort,  which  stood  on  the  south 
side.  Here  Mr.  Kinzie  built  up  a  large  trade,  having  trading 
stations  at  various  points  in  the  northern  part  of  what  is  now 
Illinois.  In  1811  Captain  Heald  superseded  Captain  Whistler  as 
commander  at  the  fort.  John  Kinzie  was  now  quite  well  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  conditions  about  Fort  Dearborn  so  far  as 
the  attitude  of  the  Indians  toward  the  presence  of  United  States 
troops  in  Illinois  was  concerned.  He  was  able,  as  a  friend  to 
both  Indians  and  whites,  to  render  the  greatest  service  in  the 
trying  times  through  which  they  were  passing.  John  Kinzie 
urged  the  evacuation  of  the  fort  as  soon  as  the  situation  became 
alarming,  but  Captain  Heald  was  slow  to  take  advice,  and  when 
he  did  decide  to  abandon  the  fort,  John  Kinzie  saw  it  was  too 
late.  John  Kinzie  and  his  wife  came  through  the  dreadful  ordeal 
with  no  physical  injuries,  but  they  were  carried  away  into  cap- 
tivity and  did  not  return  until  1816,  when  Mr.  Kinzie  again 
entered  into  the  trade  which  was  so  rudely  disturbed  at  the  time 
of  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre.  He  died  in  Chicago  in  1828. 
His  funeral  was  held  in  the  fort  and  he  was  buried  nearby,  but 
the  body  was  in  after  years  moved  to  the  beautiful  Graceland 
Cemetery,  where  it  now  lies. 

Father  Pierre  Gibault  was  the  priest  in  charge  of  the  Catholic 
Church  at  Kaskaskia  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  George  Rogers 
Clark.  He  was  also  the  vicar-general  for  a  large  territory  with 
Kaskaskia  as  the  center.  The  priest  was  the  leader  of  a  group 
of  the  most  prominent  people  in  the  town  who  called  upon  Clark 
the  next  morning  after  the  capture  to  intercede  for  his  people. 
The  priest  and  Clark  soon  found  common  ground  on  which  they 
could  stand  and  they  became  good  friends.  Father  Gibault  went 
on  a  mission  for  Colonel  Clark  to  Vincennes,  where  he  was  able 
to  win  to  the  American  cause  the  French  of  that  village  also. 
In  many  ways  Father  Gibault  rendered  valuable  service  to  the 
American  cause.  He  furnished  considerable  amounts  of  goods 
and  money  to  Colonel  Clark's  army  when  there  was  no  chance 
of  getting  them  from  the  Government,  and  so  far  as  we  have 
been  able  to  determine,  the  Government  never  made  any  serious 
effort  to  reimburse  him.  This  case  of  Father  Gibault  seems  to 
be  one  more  proof  that  republics  are  ungrateful.  Father  Gibault 
died  about  1800,  very  much  broken  in  spirit. 

George  Fisher  practiced  medicine  and  held  office  in  Kaskaskia 
for  a  good  many  years.  He  was  a  Virginian.  He  came  to  Illinois 
before  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  kept  store  for  a 
while.  Governor  Harrison  appointed  Doctor  Fisher  the  first 
sheriff  of  Randolph  County.  He  sat  in  the  Indiana  Territorial 
Legislature,  and  in  the  first  assembly  in  the  Illinois  Territory. 
He  was  a  very  popular  man.  He  sat  in  the  convention  that 
framed  the  first  Constitution  for  Illinois.     There  was  scarcely 


398  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

a  year  that  he  did  not  hold  some  kind  of  an  office.  He  died  on 
his  farm,  near  Kaskaskia,  in  1820. 

Alexander  Wilson  came  to  Shawneetown  about  1809.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  first  Territorial  Legislature  under  Governor 
Edwards.  He  died  in  1812.  He  left  an  interesting  family  be- 
hind him.  He  had  contributed  to  the  permanent  well  being  in 
many  ways.  The  Legislature,  in  recognition  of  his  services, 
granted  to  his  heirs  a  perpetual  right  to  operate  a  ferry  across 
the  Ohio  at  Shawneetown.  Maj.-Gen.  James  H.  Wilson,  a  de- 
scendant of  Alexander  Wilson,  was  a  distinguished  general  in 
the  Civil  war.  Maj.  Henry  S.  Wilson  and  Maj.  Bluford  Wilson 
were  officers  in  the  Civil  war. 

Jacob  Short  was  a  captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  had  come 
to  Illinois  in  1796  in  company  with  four  other  pioneers  named 
Griffin,  Gibbons,  Roberts,  and  Valentine.  They  settled  between 
New  Design  and  the  Mississippi  River.  The  place  seemed  un- 
desirable, so  they  moved  their  settlement  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  but  not  till  they  had  buried  some  of  their  dead  in  the 
neighborhood  graveyard.  In  1811  Jacob  Short  and  Moses  Quick 
built  a  flatboat  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Kaskaskia,  about  a  mile 
below  the  present  town  of  New  Athens,  in  St.  Clair  County.  The 
craft  was  loaded  with  beef  cattle  and  corn  and  in  March  of  that 
year  the  boat  floated  out  in  the  Mississippi  and  on  to  New 
Orleans,  where  the  cargo  and  boat  were  sold  at  a  good  profit. 
The  men  returned  on  horseback  to  their  homes  in  the  late  sum- 
mer. This  was  the  first  flatboat  that  was  built  that  high  up  on 
the  Kaskaskia.  Jacob  Short  was  a  captain  in  the  regiment 
authorized  by  Congress  to  be  raised  in  Kentucky,  Illinois  and 
Missouri  and  known  as  the  Rangers.  The  regiment  was  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  William  Russell,  of  Kentucky.  Illinois  was  entitled 
to  four  companies  out  of  the  ten,  and  the  captains  were  Capts. 
Jacob  Short,  Samuel  Whiteside,  William  B.  Whiteside,  and 
James  B.  Moore.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Illinois  Territory 
passed  from  a  first  class  territory  to  a  second  class  in  1812.  In 
selecting  members  of  the  Lower  House  from  St.  Clair  County, 
the  people  chose  Jacob  Short  and  Joshua  Oglesby.  Captain 
Short  was  selected  by  the  Legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Illinois 
as  a  member  of  a  committee  of  seven  to  select  a  new  site  for  the 
county  seat  of  St.  Clair  County.  Cahokia  had  been  the  county 
seat  for  more  than  two  decades,  but  was  still  given  over  to 
French  life  and  ways,  and  the  Americans  were  desirous  of  locat- 
ing the  new  capital  where  the  town  would  be  free  from  French 
influence.  Belleville  was  selected  as  the  new  location.  Capt. 
Jacob  Short  was  a  dependable  citizen  and  was  concerned  with 
all  activities  which  would  contribute  to  the  on-going  of  the  com- 
munity life. 

Moses  Quick  was  one  of  three  sons  of  Isaac  Quick  who  came 
to  Illinois  from  New  Jersey  by  way  of  Pennsylvania.     The 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  399 

elder  Mr.  Quick  settled  near  the  present  town  of  Mascoutah, 
St.  Clair  County,  in  the  year  1806.  The  older  of  the  three  Quick 
boys,  Aaron,  married  Lucy  Preston,  of  Virginia,  and  reached 
St.  Clair  County  and  settled  near  Belleville  in  1809.  Here  he 
bought  a  thousand  acres  of  land  and  became  one  of  the  rich 
men  of  St.  Clair  County.  Aaron  Quick  was  one  of  the  first 
school  teachers  of  St.  Clair  County.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
man  of  a  high  grade  of  intelligence,  accompanied  by  a  liberal 
self-culture  and  general  information.  Aaron  Quick  died  in 
Belleville  in  1816.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  social  qualities  and 
leader  in  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  relatives.  Moses  Quick 
was  an  adventurous  sort  of  man  and  was  engaged  in  a  number 
of  enterprises.  He  owned  a  mill  near  Belleville,  on  Richland 
Creek,  and  a  farm  adjoining.  It  is  said  that  in  this  mill  was 
ground  the  first  flour  manufactured  in  St.  Clair  County.  The 
proprietor  shipped  200  barrels  of  flour  from  this  mill  to  New 
Orleans  in  1816.  The  following  advertisement  appeared  in  the 
Missouri  Gazette  and  Illinois  Advertiser  on  April  27,  1816 : 

For  Sale 

a  SAW  mill,  now  in  full  plight,  and  equal  if  not  superior 
to  any  in  the  territory,  and  a  Grist  Mill  partly  built,  which  can 
be  put  in  operation  at  a  small  expense.  Also,  167  acres  of  well- 
timbered  land,  situated  one  mile  from  Belleville,  Illinois  Terri- 
tory. 

April  26.  Moses  Quick. 

The  records  show  the  mill  and  land  were  sold  for  $3,000. 
Moses  Quick  moved  from  Illinois  in  later  years  and  resided  in 
Mississippi.  He  was  engaged  in  steamboat  navigation  on  the 
Mississippi  River  and  was  very  prosperous.  The  daughters  of 
the  elder  Mr.  Quick  married  into  the  best  families  in  St.  Clair 
County  and  their  descendants  number  hundreds  of  good  people 
in  this  end  of  the  state.  The  sons  and  grandsons  also  have  taken 
high  rank  in  the  social  and  political  world.  A  son  of  Aaron 
Quick,  the  Hon.  Thomas  Quick,  was  a  resident  of  Washington 
County  and  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  State  Agricul- 
tural College  at  Irvington  in  1861.  He  was  afterward  one  of 
the  trustees  of  the  first  board  for  the  State  University  at  Cham- 
paign. 

John  Gabriel  Cerre  has  not  been  generally  recognized  as  hav- 
ing a  very  important  part  in  the  making  of  Illinois  history ;  but 
in  recent  years  his  connection  with  public  men  in  the  early  part 
of  the  history  of  Illinois,  and  his  general  activity  in  business  en- 
terprises, have  seemed  to  justify  the  changed  attitude  of  the  stu- 
dents of  Illinois  history.  He  was  a  Canadian  Frenchman,  born 
in  1734.  As  early  as  1755  he  was  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade 
along  the  Mississippi  River,  and  was  settled  in  Kaskaskia,  the 
"little  Paris  in  the  wilderness,"  in  the  last  mentioned  year.    He 


400  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

married  in  Kaskaskia  in  the  year  1764.  His  wife  was  Catherine 
Girard,  whose  parents  had  come  to  Kaskaskia  in  1729,  and  were 
known  as  one  of  the  "first  families"  of  this  Western  Paris.  Mr. 
Cerre  had  his  enemies,  and  when  Clark  reached  Kaskaskia,  they 
banded  together  to  do  him  harm.  Cerre  was  away  from  the  little 
village,  but  returned  and  faced  his  accusers.  Clark  soon  saw 
through  the  plans  of  Cerre's  enemies,  and  thenceforth  Clark  and 
Cerre  were  the  best  of  friends.  In  1779  he  bought  out  a  business 
in  St.  Louis  and  opened  in  that  town  a  trading  emporium  of 
large  proportion.  He  assisted  in  the  municipal  affairs  in  St. 
Louis,  but  seems  to  have  remained  in  Kaskaskia  as  a  citizen  of 
that  place.  But  eventually  he  took  up  his  residence  in  the  Span- 
ish village.  In  1786  a  committee  of  Congress  sent  a  "question- 
naire" to  Mr.  Cerre  asking  him  seven  questions  as  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Illinois  country.  He  answered  very  fully  and  clearly 
the  questions,  showing  not  only  that  he  was  perfectly  familiar 
with  conditions  in  Illinois,  but  showing  a  marked  sympathetic 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  its  people.  He  was  all  his  life  a  great 
friend  of  Illinois. 

Benjamin  Ogle  was  a  native  of  Virginia  who  with  his  family 
came  to  St.  Clair  County  about  1785.  He  was  shot  by  Indians 
while  he  was  engaged  in  farm  work  in  1788.  He  recovered  from 
his  wounds  and  became  a  very  efficient  Indian  scout.  His  son, 
Joseph  Ogle,  was  a  doctor  and  a  brilliant  Indian  scout.  He  was 
a  Methodist  class  leader.  The  Methodists  found  his  home 
always  open  to  the  work  of  that  church.  There  were  many 
descendants  of  this  father  and  son  and  St.  Clair  still  has  many 
Ogles. 

Henry  Levens  came  into  Illinois  in  1797  from  the  western 
part  of  Pennsylvania.  He  came  down  the  Ohio  and  debarked  at 
Fort  Massac.  He  moved  from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia  with 
two  wagons,  one  pulled  by  horses  and  one  by  oxen.  He  mounted 
a  large  skiff  on  one  wagon  for  a  wagonbed  and  to  be  used  as  a 
ferry  in  crossing  the  swollen  streams.  He  was  twenty-five  days 
going  from  Fort  Massac  to  Kaskaskia.  When  they  had  reached 
Kaskaskia,  they  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention,  for  all  the 
members  of  the  family  were  musicians;  they  played  the  violin 
and  other  instruments  and  they  all  danced.  So  their  home 
became  a  sort  of  social  center  in  the  town.  He  did  not  stay 
long  in  the  village,  but  moved  to  a  spacious  home  on  Horse 
Creek,  which  flows  into  the  Kaskaskia  just  a  mile  or  so  above 
the  present  town  of  Evansville.  Here  he  erected  a  large  saw- 
mill, where  all  the  lumber  for  flatboats  was  sawed  out.  The 
family  became  very  prosperous,  though  they  gave  much  of  their 
time  to  amusements.  Reynolds  says  this  family  was  a  true 
pioneer  family.  They  eventually  moved  to  Missouri — probably 
to  keep  in  the  front  line  of  the  pioneer  life. 

Elias  Kent  Kane  was  not  an  early  comer.    He  arrived  in  1814. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  401 

He  was  from  New  York  and  was  highly  educated.  He  was  a 
lawyer  of  excellent  preparation,  and  was  gifted  with  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  high-bred  gentleman.  He  was  an  eloquent  public 
speaker,  was  the  first  secretary  of  state  for  Illinois,  served  in 
the  Legislature,  and  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  in 
1824.  He  was  reelected  and  died  while  at  Washington  in  1835. 
He  was  an  able  lawyer,  an  uncompromising  champion  of  slavery. 

Daniel  Pope  Cook  was  another  brilliant  young  man  whose 
race  was  short.  He  hailed  from  Kentucky.  He  came  to  St. 
Genevieve,  Missouri,  in  1811,  where  he  worked  as  a  clerk  in  a 
store.  He  was  poor,  without  friends,  and  contending  with  the 
incipient  ravages  of  a  dreaded  disease.  He  left  St.  Genevieve 
for  Kaskaskia,  where  he  studied  law  under  Judge  Nathaniel 
Pope.  He  passed  his  bar  examination  in  1815  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years.  His  health  began  to  fail  as  a  result  of  great 
mental  strain  and  he  travelled  in  warm  countries  for  his  health. 
He  was  sent  with  secret  messages  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  who 
was  our  minister  at  the  court  of  St.  James.  On  his  return  he 
was  appointed  to  a  judgeship  in  the  western  part  of  Illinois.  In 
1820  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  over  John  Mc- 
Lean, of  Shawneetown.  "His  career  in  Illinois  was  brief,  but 
elevated  and  conspicuous." 

Thomas  C.  Browne,  a  Kentuckian,  was  a  conspicuous  public 
man  in  early  Illinois  history.  He  came  to  Shawneetown,  having 
studied  law  in  his  native  state.  Reynolds  says  before  they  had  a 
courthouse  or  any  public  hall  where  court  could  be  held,  they 
improvised  a  courthouse  by  pulling  two  flatboats  up  to  shore 
side  by  side,  one  being  used  by  the  grand  jury  and  the  other 
by  the  trial  court.  Mr.  Browne  is  supposed  to  have  practiced 
in  this  court.  He  served  in  the  Legislature  with  Philip  Tram- 
mel, from  Gallatin  County.  He  was  for  a  time  prosecuting 
attorney  for  the  counties  along  the  Ohio.  In  1816  he  was 
elected  to  the  Council  (or  Senate)  of  the  Legislature,  which 
position  he  held  when  the  territory  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 
He  was  chosen  one  of  the  members  of  the  Supreme  Court  in 
1819.  This  position  he  held  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In 
1822  he  was  one  of  four  candidates  for  governor.  The  other 
three  were  Chief  Justice  Joseph  Phillips,  Maj.-Gen.  James  B. 
Moore,  and  Edward  Coles.  Phillips  and  Browne  divided  the 
slavery  vote  and  Coles  was  elected.  Browne  was  brilliant  but 
not  a  hard  student,  and  for  this  lack  of  application  he  was 
severely  criticised.  "Honor,  integrity,  and  fidelity  were  prom- 
inent traits  of  his  character." 

Thomas  Carlin  was  not  surpassed  by  any  pioneer  in  bringing 
Illinois  up  to  the  statehood.  He  did  not  begin  his  labors  as 
early  as  some,  but  he  was  continually  serving  the  people  and  the 
state  in  some  commendable  way.  He  came  on  the  scene  in  1811. 
He  was  of  Irish  extraction  and,  like  many  young  men  of  that 


402  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

people,  he  was  poor  and  without  friends — two  very  serious 
handicaps.  His  education  was  very  meager.  He  was  a  private 
with  Capt.  William  B.  Whitesides  in  the  War  of  1812.  In  1813 
he  marched  under  the  orders  of  General  Howard.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  located  near  the  present  city  of  Carrollton,  in 
Greene  County.  He  was  the  first  sheriff  of  Greene  County. 
While  living  on  his  farm  in  Greene  County  he  was  often  selected 
to  serve  in  the  Legislature.  He  also  was  receiver  of  public 
moneys  at  Quincy,  which  position  he  filled  with  great  credit  to 
himself  and  with  perfect  satisfaction  to  the  Government.  We 
shall  hear  of  him  later  as  governor  of  Illinois. 

Charles  Gratiot  is  one  of  the  men  to  be  honored  in  connection 
with  the  pioneer  history  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  Swiss  Huguenot. 
He  was  put  in  school  in  London,  where  he  came  under  the 
influence  of  wealthy  merchants.  From  these  men  he  developed 
a  genius  for  trade,  and  at  the  close  of  his  term  of  school  he 
went  to  Canada,  where  he  entered  a  partnership  with  Kay  & 
McRae.  The  field  of  operations  extended  over  Canada  and  the 
Northwest — from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio.  Charles  Gratiot  was  the  master  mind  in  this  great  enter- 
prise. Prior  to  1774  he  worked  principally  in  the  North,  but  in 
that  year  he  came  to  the  Illinois  country  and  established  trading 
centers  at  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia.  It  was  at  the  time  he  had 
reached  the  height  of  his  commercial  activity,  and  at  a  time 
when  his  influence  with  Indians  and  French  was  widespread, 
that  George  Rogers  Clark  arrived  at  Kaskaskia.  It  was  now 
that  Charles  Gratiot  proved  a  friend  indeed.  Clark's  army  was 
destitute  of  food  and  clothing,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  such 
generous  spirits  as  Vigo,  Cerre,  Gibault  and  Gratiot,  what  would 
have  become  of  the  far  flung  victories  of  Colonel  Clark  and  his 
Virginia  Long  Knives?  Charles  Gratiot  had  a  generous  heart 
toward  the  American  cause  and  he  opened  it  wide  for  the  Amer- 
ican patriots.  Gratiot  paid  the  French  and  Spanish  citizens  for 
the  food  and  clothing  of  which  Clark's  army  stood  in  need.  "His 
heart  and  soul  were  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  human  freedom. 
The  blood  of  the  country  of  Tell  burned  in  his  veins  and  all  his 
means  were  exhausted  in  the  glorious  conquest  of  Illinois." 
Charles  Gratiot  was  never  reimbursed  for  his  expenditures  for 
Clark's  army.  In  his  later  years  he  abandoned  his  commercial 
enterprises  and  gave  himself  up  to  domestic  employments.  The 
Gratiot  family  was  an  extensive  connection  in  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri. 

Thomas  Forsyth  was  a  half-brother  of  John  Kinzie,  the  Indian 
agent  at  Fort  Dearborn  in  1812.  He  was  brought  up  among  the 
Pottawattomies  and  was  very  influential  among  them.  In  the 
War  of  1812  Mr.  Forsyth  was  heartily  in  favor  of  the  Amer- 
icans. Since  he  knew  the  Pottawattomies  so  well,  he  was  at  all 
times  well  posted  as  to  the  temper  of  the  red  men.    He  lived  in 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  403 

Peoria  and  mingled  freely  with  the  Indians  along  the  Illinois 
River.  In  1812  Mr.  Forsyth  was  in  St.  Louis  on  business,  and 
while  there  had  a  conference  with  Governor  Clark  about  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation,  more  particularly  in  Illinois.  He 
also  visited  Governor  Edwards  at  Kaskaskia.  Governor  Clark 
had  Forsyth  appointed  a  secret  Indian  agent  for  the  Govern- 
ment. It  needed  to  be  kept  secret,  because  the  Indians  would 
have  turned  against  him  and  he  could  have  had  no  influence 
with  them.  His  home  in  Peoria  placed  him  in  the  midst  of  the 
territory  whence  might  come  the  greatest  danger.  When 
Forsyth  heard  of  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre,  he  proceeded  to 
the  Indian  towns  along  the  Illinois  River  with  the  hope  that  he 
could  render  aid  to  the  unfortunate  Americans.  This  was  even 
then  considered  very  dangerous  by  Forsyth  himself.  He  prac- 
ticed a  little  diplomacy  on  this  trip.  He  took  some  old  French- 
men who  had  married  Indian  squaws,  together  with  their  wives 
and  children,  and  without  arms,  powder,  or  lead,  he  went  to  the 
relief  of  the  distressed  Americans.  He  rendered  timely  service 
and  returned  to  Peoria.  In  the  fall  of  1812,  Capt.  Thomas  Craig, 
with  two  boats  and  a  company  of  militia,  appeared  in  Peoria  to 
investigate  a  report  that  Forsyth  and  certain  Frenchmen  were 
causing  all  the  unrest  among  the  Indians.  Craig  captured  more 
than  three  scores  of  men,  women,  and  children,  among  whom 
was  Forsyth.  They  were  brought  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  and  unloaded  in  the  woods  on  the  Illinois  side.  Forsyth 
helped  these  people  to  St.  Louis  and  himself  returned  to  Peoria. 
After  the  war  he  was  engaged  in  agency  work  for  the  Govern- 
ment, in  which  capacity  he  rendered  very  acceptable  service. 

Lewis  and  Clark  were  two  Virginians  who  performed  a  great 
service  for  the  United  States.  They  had  very  little  to  do  directly 
with  early  Illinois  history,  but  their  short  stay  in  Illinois  is  an 
interesting  short  chapter  and  is  worth  the  telling.  Meriwether 
Lewis  was  private  secretary  to  Thomas  Jefferson ;  William  Clark 
was  a  brother  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  Jefferson  got  an  appro- 
priation to  pay  the  expenses  of  a  mission  to  the  Indians  upon 
the  upper  Missouri.  It  was  Jefferson's  plan  to  extend  the  mis- 
sion's work  to  an  exploration  to  the  Rockies  and  beyond.  Lewis 
and  Clark  were  ordered  to  prepare  an  expedition  to  start  in  the 
spring  of  1804.  Lewis  was  a  captain  and  Clark  was  a  lieutenant 
in  the  regular  army.  They  made  their  camp  in  the  winter  of 
1803-4  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Wood  River,  three  miles  below 
the  present  city  of  Alton.  Here  they  gathered  supplies,  men 
and  information.  In  doing  so  they  visited  Cahokia,  St.  Louis, 
and  other  centers  of  population.  Reynolds  says  there  were 
thirty-four  men  in  the  party,  but  there  were  probably  more  than 
that  number  by  the  time  they  started,  May  14,  1804.  Some  of 
the  party  were  recruited  from  the  frontier,  as  Reynolds  gives 
the  names  of  Thompson,  Collins,  Willard,  Newman,  Windsor, 


404  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Frazier,  and  Gibson  as  having  returned  from  the  overland  jour- 
ney and  settled  in  Illinois.  There  were  no  settlements  as  far 
north  as  this  camp  established  by  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1803. 

Governor  Reynolds  in  his  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois"  is 
careful  in  giving  sketches  of  the  pioneers  to  point  out  those  who 
had  been  Revolutionary  soldiers,  and  particularly  to  mention  the 
fact  that  they  served  with  Colonel  Clark  in  his  companies  in 
Illinois  in  1778  to  1781.  And  while  the  men  whose  names  appear 
below  may  have  been  given  above  as  among  the  pioneers,  a 
separate  list  is  given  below  as  a  matter  of  convenience  for  those 
especially  interested  in  the  Revolutionary  patriots.  The  first 
two  soldiers  were  not  with  Clark,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  list 
were  with  Clark  on  some  of  his  expeditions. 

Revolutionary  Soldiers 

William  Whiteside  was  from  North  Carolina.  He  fought  in 
the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  October  7,  1780.  The  British 
force  of  1,000  men,  under  Colonel  Ferguson,  was  either  killed  or 
captured  to  a  man.    This  Revolutionary  hero  arrived  in  1793. 

John  Whiteside,  a  brother  to  William,  was  also  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier  in  North  Carolina.  He  came  to  Illinois  and  set- 
tled at  Bellefontaine  in  1793. 

Joseph  Anderson  was  one  of  Clark's  soldiers.  He  returned 
with  others  from  beyond  the  Ohio  and  settled  on  Nine  Mile 
Creek,  east  of  the  Kaskaskia  River. 

James  Vurry  showed  soldierly  qualities  in  the  capture  of 
Kaskaskia  and  the  fort  at  Vincennes.  He  was  out  hunting  on 
Nine  Mile  Creek  when  he  disappeared,  supposed  to  have  been 
killed  by  Indians.    His  body  was  never  found. 

George  and  Ichabod  Camp  were  enrolled  with  Clark's  army. 
They  settled  on  Camp's  Creek,  in  Randolph  County.  They  after- 
wards moved  to  St.  Louis  and  settled  at  Camp  Spring,  west  of 
the  city. 

William  Biggs  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three.  Congress  granted  him  a  tract  of  land  for  his 
services.  He  had  many  "hair-breadth  'scapes"  in  his  pioneer 
life.    He  held  many  offices. 

John  Doyle  was  a  school  teacher.  He  helped  win  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.    He  taught  about  Kaskaskia  after  1790. 

Bowen  was  with  Clark,  and  after  the  war  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  in  company  with  three  other  ex-soldiers, 
Piggott,  Doyle  and  Whitehead,  and  settled  near  Kaskaskia. 

John  Dodge  settled  in  Kaskaskia  in  1783.  He  is  recorded  as 
being  entitled  to  a  land  grant  of  400  acres.  He  was  related  to 
the  noted  Dodge  family,  early  pioneers  of  Illinois. 

John  Hilterbrand,  together  with  a  Revolutionary  soldier  by 
the  name  of  Tell,  settled  on  Nine  Mile  Creek  and  made  quite  a 
few  improvements.    This  was  in  1780. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  405 

David  Pagon  settled  just  across  the  Kaskaskia  River  opposite 
the  village.  Pagon  built  a  house  some  two  miles  farther  east, 
where  he  resided  in  1788. 

Thomas  Hughes  helped  Clark  in  his  Illinois  campaigns.  He 
was  a  Pennsylvanian  and  returned  to  Illinois  in  1783.  On  his 
way  down  the  Ohio,  near  Fort  Massac,  he  was  murdered,  and 
also  his  baby.  The  mother  and  others  escaped  and  finally 
reached  Kaskaskia. 

George  Lunsford  settled  first  near  Kaskaskia.  Later  he  and 
Colonel  Judy  bought  the  "sugar  loaf,"  some  five  or  six  miles 
south  of  Cahokia.  This  was  a  round  top  hill  which  attracted 
much  attention. 

Richard  McCarthy  sounds  as  if  he  Were  an  Irishman,  but  he 
commanded  a  company  from  Cahokia  on  the  march  to  Vincennes 
in  February,  1779.  He  was  a  miller  and  built  a  mill  on  Cahokia 
Creek,  about  a  mile  south  of  the  Relay  Depot,  East  St.  Louis. 

James  Piggott  came  back  to  Illinois  with  other  soldiers  in 
1781.  He  settled  at  New  Design  and  was  very  active  in  pro- 
moting religious  life  of  the  community. 

Robert  Kidd  was  one  of  Clark's  soldiers.  After  being  dis- 
charged, he  went  to  his  home  in  Maryland,  and  in  company 
with  other  soldiers  came  to  Illinois  about  1781.  He  came  from 
Pittsburg  to  Kaskaskia  by  water. 

Robert  Whitehead  was  one  of  a  half  dozen  men  who  came  into 
Illinois  as  early  as  1781,  most  of  them  returned  soldiers.  They 
settled  in  the  bottoms  south  of  Cahokia. 

Larkin  Rutherford  was  one  of  the  Clark  men  who  came  with 
Whitehead  and  Kidd,  mentioned  above. 

Levi  Teel  was  not  only  a  British  fighter,  but  he  was  an  Indian 
fighter.  He  was  once  transfixed  to  a  cabin  floor  by  a  spear  in 
the  hands  of  an  Indian.  He  was  near  a  door  and  the  spear  was 
driven  through  his  foot.  He  was  otherwise  badly  wounded,  but 
his  companion  saved  him  and  got  him  back  to  Kaskaskia,  two 
miles  distant. 

Groots  belong  to  the  settlement  near  Goshen,  in  Madison 
County. 

Robert  Seybold  was  one  of  Clark's  soldiers  who  was  associated 
with  Hilterbrand,  Camp,  Teel,  and  others.  Some  of  these  men 
came  into  Illinois  direct  from  Fort  Jefferson. 

John  Montgomery  was  a  captain  in  Clark's  little  army  and 
later  was  made  a  major.  He  took  Rocheblave  a  prisoner  to 
Williamsburg,  Virginia.  He  returned  to  Illinois  in  1783  and 
built  a  home  a  few  miles  east  of  Kaskaskia,  on  the  trail  to  Vin- 
cennes, where  he  operated  a  mill. 

Interesting  Places 

Places  are  sometimes  as  interesting  as  persons.  There  can 
of  course  not  be  so  many  interesting  places  as  there  are  persons 


406  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

in  the  pioneer  history  of  a  region.  Many  of  the  people  gather 
about  certain  places — the  place  remains  for  generations,  but 
men  come  and  go.  A  few  of  the  most  interesting  places  are 
given.    Probably  some  have  been  omitted. 

Falling  Spring  was  a  curiosity  to  the  early  travelers  along 
the  road  from  Prairie  du  Pont  to  the  New  Design  settlement. 
The  water  gushed  from  a  crevice  in  the  rock  wall  forty  or  fifty 
feet  above  the  level  ground  below.  A  flouring  mill  was  erected 
here. 

Fountain  Creek  was  a  small  stream  that  ran  west  through  the 
present  county  of  Monroe  and  across  the  American  Bottom  into 
the  Mississippi  River. 

Fort  Massac  was  a  point  of  debarkation  for  immigrants  com- 
ing down  the  Ohio  and  desiring  to  reach  points  in  the  south  end 
of  the  Illinois  Territory. 

The  Big  Spring  was  on  the  road  from  Waterloo  to  Whiteside 
Station.  Here  was  a  hard  battle  between  Capt.  N.  Hull  and 
eight  settlers  and  a  score  of  Indians  in  May,  1791.  The  Amer- 
icans came  out  victors. 

Bellefontaine  was  a  village  a  mile  north  of  New  Design. 

Horse  Prairie  lies  west  of  the  Kaskaskia  River  and  east  of 
Horse  Creek.  The  early  Americans  found  wild  horses  on  this 
prairie — they  had  escaped  from  the  French  villages. 

Elvirade  was  the  country  home  of  Governor  Edwards.  It 
was  located  not  far  from  Prairie  du  Rocher. 

Embarrass  River  is  a  stream  that  rises  in  Douglas  County  and 
flows  south  through  Coles,  Cumberland,  Jasper  and  southeast 
through  Lawrence. 

Grand  Tower,  a  perpendicular  rock,  rising  from  the  rocky  bed 
of  the  Mississippi  opposite  Grand  Tower  Village.  It  is  forty  or 
fifty  feet  high,  according  to  the  various  stages  of  the  river. 

Starved  Rock,  a  perpendicular  bluff  about  125  feet  high, 
located  on  the  Illinois  River  a  few  miles  below  Ottawa.  Here  is 
where  LaSalle  and  Tonti  built  Fort  St.  Louis. 

Buffalo  Rock  is  between  Starved  Rock  and  Ottawa  and  is 
larger  but  not  so  high  as  Starved  Rock.  They  are  prominent 
parts  of  the  bluffs  that  skirt  the  Illinois  River. 

Piasa  Bluffs  are  high  rocky  bluffs  which  skirt  the  Illinois  side 
of  the  Mississippi  between  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  and 
Alton.    Here  is  where  Marquette  saw  the  painting  on  the  rock. 

Shiloh,  a  settlement  six  miles  northeast  of  Belleville.  Here 
Bishop  McKendree  held  a  camp  meeting  in  1807. 

Hull's  Landing,  a  point  on  the  Ohio  about  seven  miles  above 
Golconda,  where  Captain  Hull  landed  in  1780.  There  was  a  road 
from  this  point  to  Kaskaskia. 

Lusk's  Ferry  was  established  at  Golconda  probably  some  time 
prior  to  the  coming  of  George  Rogers  Clark. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  407 

Prairie  du  Rocher  was  a  French  village  some  three  or  four 
miles  southeast  of  Fort  Chartres.    It  was  founded  about  1720. 

Big  Bay  Creek  settlement  was  some  miles  south  of  Golconda. 
It  was  settled  in  1803  and  grew  to  be  a  prosperous  settlement. 

Turkey  Hill  was  a  French  and  Indian  trading  post  many  years 
before  the  Americans  came.  It  was  four  miles  southeast  of 
Belleville  and  was  settled  by  Americans  in  1798.  It  was  the 
second  most  important  American  settlement  in  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century. 

Cahokia  was  located  some  three  miles  down  the  river  from 
the  present  East  St.  Louis.  It  was  the  county  seat  till  Belle- 
ville was  laid  out  in  1814. 

Cahokia  Creek  rises  in  Macoupin  County  and  flows  south 
through  Madison  and  empties  into  the  Mississippi  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Cahokia.  It  was  a  well-known  stream  in  early  Illinois 
history. 

The  Ohio  Salt  Works  were  located  near  the  present  town  of 
Equality,  in  Gallatin  County.  They  were  flourishing  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century. 

Monk's  Mound,  the  largest  of  the  artificial  mounds  to  be  seen 
some  five  or  six  miles  northeast  of  St.  Louis.  The  largest  and 
two  or  three  scores  of  the  smaller  ones  have  been  purchased  by 
the  state  for  $50,000.  The  largest  will  be  examined  by  scientific 
men  to  determine  its  age,  its  purpose  and  its  mode  of  construc- 
tion. 

Brownsville  was  located  on  the  Big  Muddy  River,  some  four 
miles  below  the  present  city  of  Murphysboro.  There  were  salt 
works  there  as  early  as  1817  or  1818.  It  was  the  first  county 
seat  of  Jackson  County. 

Jonesboro  was  the  first  county  seat  of  Union  County.  It  is 
about  forty  miles  north  of  Cairo.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  beautiful 
natural  scenery. 

Cairo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River,  was  settled  as  early 
as  1805  by  a  family  by  the  name  of  Bird. 

The  American  Bottom  was  an  extensive  stretch  of  alluvial 
land  reaching  from  the  present  city  of  Alton  to  the  City  of 
Chester.  It  is  from  two  to  five  miles  wide,  lying  between  the 
Mississippi  River  and  a  long  line  of  bluffs.  With  two  or  three 
exceptions,  all  the  early  settlements  were  in  the  American 
Bottom. 

Partridge's  Town  was  an  Indian  village  at  the  north  end  of 
Peoria  Lake,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Illinois  River. 

The  Big  Muddy  River  is  a  fairly  good  sized  stream  which 
rises  in  Jefferson  County,  flows  south  through  Jefferson  and 
Franklin  and  west  through  Jackson  into  the  Mississippi  below 
Grand  Tower. 

Looking  Glass  Prairie,  a  large  prairie  lying  in  the  eastern  part 


408  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  St.  Clair  County.  This  prairie  was  visited  by  Charles  Dickens 
in  1842.  Mr.  Dickens  had  never  seen  a  prairie,  and  his  St.  Louis 
friends  took  him  out  to  see  this  prairie.  A  decade  ago  his  son 
also  went  from  St.  Louis  to  see  Looking  Glass  Prairie. 

Wiggins  Ferry  was  the  means  of  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
Illinoistown  (now  East  St.  Louis)  to  St.  Louis. 

Nine-Mile  Creek  was  a  settlement  of  that  name  on  a  creek  of 
the  same  name  some  miles  northeast  of  the  Village  of  Kaskaskia. 

Belleville  was  laid  off  as  a  town  in  1814,  and  the  county  seat  of 
St.  Clair  County  moved  there  from  Cahokia  in  the  same  year. 

Camp  Russell,  or  Fort  Russell,  was  located  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  of  Edwardsville.  It  was  built  in  1812  as  a 
sort  of  advance  post  of  civilization. 

Kickapoo  Town  was  a  village  of  the  Kickapoo  Indians  near 
the  Elk-Heart  Grove,  in  what  is  now  Sangamon  County. 

Savage's  Ferry  was  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  and 
is  the  point  where  Captain  Craig  unloaded  the  Peorians  in  1812. 

Goshen  was  a  settlement  a  few  miles  south  and  west  of  Ed- 
wardsville.   It  was  below  the  bluffs. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  TRANSITION 

Travel  and  Transportation — The  Flat  Boat — The  Steam- 
boat— The  National  Roai> — The  Frontier  Line — Educa- 
tion— The  Ordinance — Free  School  Law — Population 
Centers — Trade  and  Commerce — The  Sangamon  Coun- 
try. 

It  was  the  part  of  wisdom  in  those  who  urged  the  admission 
of  the  Territory  of  Illinois  into  the  union  as  one  of  the  family 
of  states.  From  1818  to  1830,  there  was  a  wonderful  impetus 
to  every  line  of  human  endeavor  which  marks  the  separation  of 
a  highly  prosperous,  progressive,  people  from  unprogressive  and 
indifferent  communities  who  remain  in  the  same  institutional 
ruts  from  decade  to  decade.  This  growth  is  seen  in  the  indus- 
trial, educational,  religious,  political,  and  social  changes  which 
began  as  soon  as  it  was  evident  that  the  Territory  of  Illinois 
would  become  a  state. 

Travel  and  Transportation 

Nothing  will  contribute  to  the  growth  and  development  of  a 
new  country  so  much  as  agreeable  and  safe  means  of  ingress 
and  egress.  There  must  be  routes  of  travel  and  means  of  com- 
munication between  a  new  state  and  the  older  and  more  civilized 
regions  of  the  earth,  or  the  new  state  will  languish  and  eventually 
perish. 

As  for  the  new  State  of  Illinois — no  American  state  was  ever 
so  blessed  with  natural  means  of  communication  with  the  outside 
world.  The  Mississippi  gave  the  people  of  the  new  state  a  direct 
line  of  intercourse  with  the  most  civilized  and  refined  portions 
of  the  old  world.  In  the  period  of  which  we  write,  the  ships  of 
nearly  every  country  on  the  earth  unfurled  their  flags  in  the 
harbor  of  New  Orleans.  The  silks,  and  satins,  the  carpets,  and 
rugs,  and  tapestries  of  Arabia,  Persia,  and  Indian;  the  coffees, 
teas,  spices,  and  fruits  of  the  tropical  world;  the  jewelry,  dia- 
monds, carved  wood,  and  the  hand-tooled  leathers  of  the  over- 
crowded cities  of  the  old  world;  woolens,  cottons,  boots,  shoes, 
hats,  gloves  and  furs  from  the  western  parts  of  Europe;  farm- 
ing implements,  tools,  machinery  for  the  "infant  industries," 
and  carriages  from  the  factories  of  England,  France,  and  other 
states  of  the  old  world — filled  the  warehouses  of  New  Orleans 
and  awaited  shipment  up  the  Mississippi  to  the  distributing 

409 


410 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


cities  of  the  interior — Natchez,  Nashville,  Louisville,  Cincinnati, 
Pittsburgh,  St.  Louis  and  a  score  or  more  trade  centers  of  lesser 
importance. 

There  lay  on  the  miles  of  wharf  at  New  Orleans  ready  for 
transhipment  to  the  hungry  peoples  of  the  earth,  the  products 
of  the  crude  farms,  and  the  rich  prairies,  and  the  fatness  of  the 
forests  of  Illinois  and  other  interior  states.  Millions  of  bushels 
of  wheat,  thousands  of  barrels  of  flour,  tons  of  pork  in  various 
forms,  beef  on  foot,  sheep  and  other  animals  ready  for  the  holds 
of  the  great  ocean  going  vessels.  There  were  lumber,  lead, 
crude  iron,  hides,  tobacco,  cotton,  naval  stores,  and  furs. 


THE  WHARF  AT  GOLCONDA 

Not  only  did  the  lower  Mississippi  connect  Illinois  directly 
with  New  Orleans  and  furnish  us  with  a  direct  outlet  to  the  old 
world  trade,  importations  and  exportations,  but  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi brought  us  the  furs  of  the  vast  northwest,  lead  from 
Northwestern  Illinois  and  Southwestern  Wisconsin,  and  lumber 
from  the  pineries  of  the  Northern  forests. 

The  Ohio  was  in  no  sense  less  important  than  the  Mississippi. 
It  acted  not  only  as  a  trunk-line  of  communication,  but  as  an 
important  feeder  to  the  Mississippi.  While  the  Mississippi  was 
a  great  commercial  waterway  it  was  not  important  as  a  migra- 
tory route.  Few  immigrants  ever  came  into  Illinois  by  way  of 
New  Orleans  and  the  Mississippi.  The  Ohio  on  the  other  hand 
brought  Illinois  a  very  large  part  of  the  immigration  from  east 
of  the  Alleghanies.  Not  only  so,  but  there  were  large  quantities 
of  manufactured  goods  from  the  eastern  states  that  found  their 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  411 

way  into  Illinois  by  way  of  Pittsburg  and  the  Ohio  River.  Fine 
stock  for  breeding  purposes,  horses,  cattle,  hogs,  sheep  and 
fowls  from  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  other  states,  reached 
Illinois  over  the  Ohio.  Very  little  if  any  commerce  from  Illinois 
went  up  the  Ohio,  but  there  was  a  constant  stream  of  travel 
both  ways  on  that  river. 

Then  there  were  the  Illinois  and  the  Wabash  which  were  both 
navigable  streams.  There  were  no  towns  on  the  Illinois  of  any 
consequence  prior  to  1830  except  Peoria.  This  was  a  French 
city  till  1812  when  it  was  partly  destroyed  by  fire  because  it 
was  supposed  to  be  helping  the  British  in  the  war.  Americans 
settled  and  rebuilt  the  town  in  1819.  In  1824  the  American  Fur 
Company  established  a  trading  post  at  this  point  and  from  that 
time  forward  Peoria  grew.  The  Illinois  River  became  the  line 
of  travel  and  transportation  between  Peoria  and  points  farther 
up  the  river  as  well  as  between  Peoria  and  Alton,  St.  Louis,  and 
New  Orleans. 

The  Wabash  had  one  good  trading  station  on  it,  namely  Vin- 
cennes.  This  was  a  very  old  trading  point,  and  large  quantities 
of  goods  of  all  kinds  were  distributed  from  here  to  the  towns  in 
Western  Indiana  and  in  Eastern  Illinois. 

There  were  several  small  streams  that  were  valuable  in  a 
commercial  way  only.  The  Little  Wabash,  the  Embarrass,  the 
Cache,  the  Big  Muddy,  and  the  Kaskaskia  were  all  adapted  to 
the  use  of  flat  boats. 

The  Flat  Boat 

The  flat  boat  was  one  of  the  unfailing  signs  of  pioneer  life.  A 
man  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  building  and  navigating  of 
this  form  of  rivercraft  between  the  years  of  1823  and  1835  de- 
scribes the  making  of  a  flat  boat  as  follows :  The  axmen  felled 
trees  whose  bodies  were  three  to  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  from 
fifty  to  seventy  feet  long.  These  were  split  from  end  to  end  and 
the  two  halves  hewn  to  the  thickness  of  six  or  eight  inches,  and 
three  to  six  feet  wide.  These  were  placed  side  by  side  some 
twelve  to  sixteen  feet  apart,  or  even  wider  apart  if  desired.  The 
front  and  rear  ends  were  rounded  down  from  the  top  like  sled 
runners  upside  down.  These  were  called  by  the  boat  builders  the 
gun'ls  (gunwales).  They  were  held  apart  and  in  position  by 
cross  beams.  A  strong  floor  was  placed  on  the  top  (which  event- 
ually will  be  the  bottom)  and  the  boat  pushed  into  the  water. 
Here  several  strong  men  overturned  the  boat,  the  water  was 
dipped  out  and  the  bottom  caulked.  A  false  bottom  was  then 
laid.  Frequently  a  sort  of  frame  was  laid  upon  the  top  of  the 
gun'ls  much  as  a  hay  frame  is  often  placed  on  a  wagon.  This 
frame  protected  on  each  side  some  three  to  six  feet,  thus  widen- 
ing the  platform  which  was  to  receive  the  cargo.  There  was 
thus  a  platform  some  sixty  or  seventy  feet  long  and  sixteen  to 


412  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

twenty-four  feet  wide,  and  was  much  like  a  fiat  car.  Sides  and 
ends  were  often  arranged  around  this  platform  to  prevent  the 
loss  of  parts  of  the  cargo.  The  hull  of  the  boat  was  loaded  with 
the  heavier  part  of  the  cargo  and  the  lighter  articles  were  placed 
on  the  extended  platform.  A  small  hut  was  built  on  the  deck 
in  which  the  cook  prepared  the  meals  and  in  which  was  one  or 
more  bunks.  From  three  to  five  men  would  take  one  of  these 
boats,  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the  neighborhood,  from  the 
place  where  it  was  built  to  New  Orleans.  Here,  after  the  cargo 
was  disposed  of,  the  boat  would  be  knocked  to  pieces  and  sold 
for  lumber. 

Timothy  Flint,  a  traveler  of  wide  experience,  who  wrote  a  very 
interesting  and  accurate  description  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 
in  1830,  says :  "The  instance  of  a  young  man  of  enterprise  and 
standing,  as  a  merchant,  trader,  planter,  or  even  a  farmer,  who 
has  not  made  at  least  one  trip  to  New  Orleans,  is  uncommon. 
From  the  upper  and  even  the  middle  western  states,  before  the 
invention  of  the  steam  boats,  it  was  a  voyage  of  long  duration, 
and  we  may  add,  of  more  peril,  than  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic. 
The  Mississippi  is  still  descended  as  before  that  invention,  in 
boats  of  every  description.  Most  of  them  now,  however,  are 
keel  and  flat  boats.  Every  principal  farmer  along  the  great 
water  courses,  builds  a  flat  boat  and  sends  to  New  Orleans  the 
produce  of  his  farm  in  it."  Mr.  Flint  estimates  the  trip  to  New 
Orleans  by  a  young  man  of  standing  and  situation  in  life  to  be 
of  great  value  in  enlarging  his  grasp  of  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  world.  He  states  further  that  there  was  more  or 
less  danger  from  sandbars,  snags,  rocks,  and  other  obstructions 
of  safe  navigation.  The  return  trip  in  an  old  fashioned  river 
steamer  to  St.  Louis  or  Louisville  required  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
days.  "It  must  be  admitted  that  while  these  frequent  trips  up 
and  down  the  river,  and  more  than  all  to  New  Orleans,  give  to 
the  young  people,  and  those  who  impart  authority,  impulse  and 
tone  to  fashion  and  opinion,  an  air  of  society,  ease  and  con- 
fidence ;  the  young  are  apt  at  the  same  time  to  imbibe  from  the 
contagion  of  example,  habits  of  extravagance,  dissipation,  and 
a  rooted  attachment  to  a  wandering  life." 

Steamboats 

The  steamboats  on  the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi  in  these  early 
days  were  indeed  floating  palaces.  The  passengers  who  traveled 
from  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  or  St.  Louis,  to  New  Orleans  found 
all  the  accommodations  one  could  find  in  the  best  city  hotels. 
These  were  the  days  of  slavery,  and  service  was  not  only  cheap 
but  attentive.  The  meals  which  the  best  river  steamers  fur- 
nished were  not  equaled  by  any  of  the  city  hotels.  A  steamboat 
would  care  for  several  scores  of  passengers,  beside  it  carried 
large  amounts  of  freight. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


413 


The  National  Road 

A  large  majority  of  the  people  who  came  to  Illinois  in  the 
early  days  came  by  wagon  or  on  horseback.  The  roads  were 
indeed  very  poor  and  there  were  few  places  where  travelers 
could  find  lodging  over  night,  but  as  the  country  improved  in 
others  matters  so  with  regard  to  travel.  Taverns  were  built 
along  the  main  traveled  highways,  and  their  prices  were  fixed 
by  legislation.  Fords,  bridges,  and  roads  were  gradually  im- 
proved and  travel  came  to  be  more  tolerable.  There  was  much 
travel  on  horseback,  and  no  small  amount  on  foot. 


CONCRETE  BRIDGE  OVER  SALT  CREEK,  EAST  OF  EFFINGHAM  ON  LINE 
OF  OLD  NATIONAL  ROAD 


The  National  Government  began  a  phase  of  "internal  improve- 
ment" as  early  as  1806.  On  the  29th  of  March  of  that  year,  the 
President,  Thomas  Jefferson,  signed  a  bill  entitled  "An  Act  to 
Regulate  the  Laying  Out  and  Making  a  Road  from  Cumberland, 
in  the  State  of  Maryland,  to  the  State  of  Ohio."  Thirty  thousand 
dollars  was  appropriated  to  survey  and  to  make  estimates  of  the 
cost  of  the  road.  It  was  the  ultimate  aim  to  extend  this  road 
into  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Missouri.  The  road  was  eventually 
extended  to  Vandalia,  Illinois.  It  started  at  the  town  of  Cumber- 
land, Maryland,  and  passed  through  the  following  cities — 
Brownsville  and  Washington  in  Pennsylvania;  Wheeling,  now 
West  Virginia;  Janesville,  Columbus,  and  Springfield,  Ohio; 
Richmond,  Indianapolis,  and  Terre  Haute,  Indiana ;  Marshall  and 
Vandalia,  Illinois.  By  1819  the  road  was  completed  into  Ohio. 
An  act  of  1820  ordered  the  road  to  be  laid  out  and  constructed 


414  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

to  a  point  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi  between  the  mouth 
of  Illinois  River  and  the  City  of  St.  Louis.  (The  point  evidently 
was  Alton.)  The  total  sum  of  $6,824,919.33  was  appropriated 
for  the  building  of  this  road. 

It  was  over  this  road  that  thousands  of  people  reached  Illinois 
between  1818  and  1830.  In  1837  John  Quincy  Adams  visited 
Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  welcomed  by  Dr.  Hugh  Camp- 
bell, one  of  the  state's  great  orators.  In  the  course  of  the  address 
he  said:  "We  stand,  sir,  upon  the  Cumberland  Road,  which 
has,  to  some  extent  broken  down  the  great  wall  of  the  Appala- 
chian Mountains,  which  served  to  form  a  natural  barrier  be- 
tween what  might  have  been  two  great  rival  nations."  Later  the 
Hon.  James  Veach  in  writing  of  the  influence  of  the  National 
Road  in  the  development  of  the  West  said:  "It  is  a  monument  of 
a  past  age ;  but  like  all  other  monuments,  it  is  interesting,  as  well 
as  venerable.  It  carried  thousands  of  population  and  millions  of 
wealth  into  the  West ;  and  more  than  any  other  material  structure 
in  the  land,  served  to  harmonize  and  strengthen,  if  not  to  save, 
the  Union." 

The  common  dirt  roads  were  much  improved  by  1820,  but 
they  were  nothing  to  brag  on  as  means  of  travel.  Laws  had 
been  passed  authorizing  the  county  authorities  to  open  and  im- 
prove the  public  roads,  but  much  of  the  labor  of  opening  roads 
and  keeping  them  in  repair  was  donated  by  the  public  spirited 
citizens,  and  since  there  was  no  well  established  permanent  sys- 
tem of  sustaining  the  roads  when  once  opened,  they  were  usually 
in  poor  repair. 

The  Frontier  Life 

By  a  careful  study  of  the  census  reports  for  1820  and  1830  we 
may  get  fairly  definite  notions  of  the  density  of  population  as 
well  as  the  extent  of  the  area  of  the  state  covered  by  settlements 
and  the  parts  remaining  unsettled.  It  of  course  is  difficult  to 
determine  the  density  of  population  since  the  counties  were  in 
most  cases  much  larger  than  they  are  today  and  we  know  the 
population  was  not  uniformly  distributed.  All  the  travelers 
who  wrote  of  what  they  observed  as  to  the  distribution,  remarked 
the  presence  of  population  along  the  streams,  as  for  example, 
along  the  Ohio,  and  the  Wabash,  on  the  east  and  southeast ;  along 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois,  in  the  West;  and  along  the 
Kaskaskia,  toward  the  Northeast.  Maps  that  show  the  distribu- 
tion of  population  represent  that  part  of  Illinois  across  the 
Wabash  from  Vincennes  as  being  thickly  populated.  Also  the 
territory  about  the  salines  on  the  Ohio,  and  the  region  along 
the  Mississippi  opposite  St.  Louis.  These  three  facts  can  be 
easily  accounted  for.  The  territory  opposite  Vincennes  was 
included  in  Knox  County  laid  off  by  Governor  St.  Clair  in  1790 
with  Vincennes  as  the  county  seat.    Illinois  was  separated  from 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  415 

Indiana  in  1809,  so  this  territory,  now  included  in  Wabash, 
Lawrence,  Edwards,  and  Crawford  grew  much  more  rapidly 
than  the  counties  one  tier  further  west.  Gallatin  County  had 
the  salines  and  Shawneetown  to  draw  population.  The  immigra- 
tion down  the  Ohio  could  not  well  debark  till  the  travelers  had 
passed  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  and  Shawneetown  was  the 
first  opportunity  below  te  mouth  of  the  Wabash.  There  was 
also  a  good  ferry  across  the  Ohio  at  Shawneetown  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century.  All  these  things  combined  to 
increase  the  population  in  that  region.  The  counties  opposite 
St.  Louis  were  from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  territory, 
well  populated.  The  region  was  attractive  in  many  ways.  The 
soil  throughout  St.  Clair  and  Madison  is  very  fertile.  Cahokia, 
Belleville,  Edwardsville,  were  thriving  towns  and  there  were 
several  smaller  villages  which  drew  numbers  of  the  new  comers. 
There  was  no  general  movement  of  population  into  the  state 
from  the  north  or  northeast  prior  to  1830.  There  were  strag- 
gling settlements  along  the  Illinois,  a  few  about  Chicago,  and 
probably  several  scores  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lead  mines,  near 
Galena.  The  fringe  of  permanent  settlements  ran  east  from 
the  south  side  of  Greene  and  Macoupin  to  Vandalia,  thence  it 
bent  south  toward  Mount  Vernon,  thence  northeasterly  to  Mar- 
shall, Clark  County.  Perhaps  it  would  not  be  amiss  to  say  that 
the  unsettled  parts  of  Washington,  Jefferson,  Marion,  Clay, 
Effingham,  Jasper  and  Cumberland  may  be  accounted  for  by 
saying  they  are  farther  from  large  streams  and  their  lands  are 
probably  not  so  productive  as  those  east  and  west. 

Education 

Schools  had  no  legal  existence  till  1825.  There  were  at  all 
times  schools  in  some  form.  But  these  were  of  no  indifferent 
character  from  the  time  the  first  Americans  began  to  arrive. 
This  was  before  the  passage  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  There 
were  some  provisions  in  that  famous  document  which  guarantees 
to  the  settlers  in  the  territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  that 
education  would  not  be  neglected.  The  Ordinance  declared  that 
— "Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge  being  necessary  to  good 
government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the 
means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged." 

Then  again  the  Ordinance  of  1785  (which  is  sometimes  called 
the  Land  Ordinance,  an  ordinance  providing  for  the  survey  of 
the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  River),  there  was  a  pro- 
vision which  said  "there  shall  be  reserved  from  sale  the  lot 
number  16  (Section  number  16)  of  every  township  for  the 
maintenance  of  common  schools  within  the  said  township." 
These  provisions  of  course  were  of  no  avail  till  Illinois  became 
a  state,  and  up  to  that  time  the  schools  of  the  Territory  were 
very  much  on  the  same  footing  as  the  churches.     If  the  people 


416  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  a  neighborhood  wanted  a  school  they  could  have  it  just  as  they 
could  have  a  church  if  they  wanted  it.  If  they  wanted  a  good 
school  they  must  find  a  good  teacher,  provide  a  good  building 
and  equipment.  If  the  people  of  any  community  were  indifferent 
about  the  value  of  schools,  they  would  of  course  have  an  indiffer- 
ent school  or  perhaps  none  at  all.  Thus  the  educational  interests 
flourished  or  languished  according  to  the  ideals  of  the  various 
communities  in  the  Territory. 

The  Ordinance 

When  Illinois  applied  for  admission  into  the  union,  and  John 
Pope  was  given  the  task  of  writing  up  the  Enabling  Act,  he 
incorporated  the  clause  which  we  find  in  the  Ordinance  of  1785 
as  to  the  sixteenth  section,  and  also  a  provision  that  three  per 
cent  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  public  lands  in  Illinois  should 
be  turned  over  to  the  state  to  be  used  to  further  the  cause  of 
education.  In  addition  he  confirmed  that  gift  of  one  township, 
given  in  the  Ordinance  of  1785  for  a  higher  institution  of  learn- 
ing, and  gave  another  township  for  the  same  purpose.  This 
generosity  on  the  part  of  the  general  Government  would  nat- 
urally beget  an  ambitious  spirit  among  the  people  of  the  new 
state.  The  Constitution  of  1818  has  not  a  word  about  schools 
or  education.  The  men  who  made  it  were  probably  too  deeply 
interested  in  slavery — either  for  or  against. 

We  have  already  called  attention  to  the  inaugural  address  of 
Governor  Bond  in  which  he  said  in  discussing  education,  "It  is 
our  imperious  duty,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  which  we 
are  amenable  to  God  and  to  our  country,  to  watch  over  this 
interesting  subject." 

The  members  of  the  General  Assembly  seems  not  to  have  done 
much  toward  performing  their  "imperious  duty."  But  in  re- 
sponse to  the  prayers  of  the  good  people  of  Belleville,  Edwards- 
ville,  and  Carlyle  the  General  Assembly  granted  charters  to  three 
academies  to  be  located  in  these  three  towns.  "The  preamble 
recites  that  several  of  the  inhabitants  have  entered  into  arrange- 
ments among  themselves  to  build  by  subscription  academies  for 
the  education  of  their  youth." 

There  were  resolutions  and  acts  of  the  General  Assembly 
which  applied  to  towns  whose  citizens  were  progressive  enough 
to  make  requests  for  help  from  the  General  Assembly.  But  the 
first  real  earnest  effort  of  the  law  makers  to  provide  for  a  system 
of  public  free  schools  resulted  in  what  is  known  as  the  Duncan 
Free  School  law  of  1825. 

School  Law  of  1825 

Joseph  Duncan,  who  resided  in  Jackson  County  in  1824,  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  that  year.     He  was  an  eastern 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  417 

young  man  with  an  exceptionally  good  education.  He  introduced 
a  law  which  provided  a  Public  School  System  very  much  like  the 
one  we  have  today.  There  was  a  preamble,  and  twenty-four 
sections,  a  synopsis  of  which  will  give  the  reader  a  very  good 
notion  of  the  plan  of  this  system. 

Preamble.  To  enjoy  our  rights  and  liberties,  we  must  under- 
stand them;  their  security  and  protection  ought  to  be  the  first 
object  of  a  free  people;  and  it  is  a  well  established  fact  that  no 
nation  has  ever  continued  long  in  the  enjoyment  of  civil  and 
political  freedom,  which  was  not  both  virtuous  and  enlightened ; 
and  believing  that  the  advancement  of  literature  has  always 
been,  and  ever  will  be,  the  means  of  developing  the  rights  of 
man,  that  the  mind  of  every  citizen  of  a  republic  is  the  common 
property  of  society,  and  constitutes  the  basis  of  its  strength 
and  happiness ;  it  is  therefore  considered  the  peculiar  duty  of  a 
free  government,  like  ours,  to  extend  the  improvement  and  culti- 
vation of  the  intellectual  energies  of  the  whole ;  therefore, 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted,  etc.  This  section  authorizes  a  free 
school  or  schools  in  every  county  for  pupils  between  five  and 
twenty-one. 

Section  2.  The  county  commissioners  shall  establish  these 
schools. 

Section  3.  The  voters  shall  elect  a  board  of  three  trustees 
(directors)  who  shall  have  control  of  the  schools. 

Section  4.  The  trustees  shall  select  teacher,  fix  salary,  take 
census  and  make  report  to  the  county  commissioners. 

Section  5.     Each  school  district  is  made  a  body  politic. 

Section  6.  Trustees  may  hold  property  in  the  name  of  dis- 
trict, prosecute  and  defend  suits. 

Section  7.  There  shall  be  a  clerk  in  each  district  who  shall 
keep  a  record  of  all  transactions  by  trustees. 

Section  8.     There  shall  be  a  treasurer  of  each  district. 

Section  9.  A  collector  shall  collect  all  moneys  and  pay  them 
over  to  the  treasurer. 

Section  10.  The  assessor  shall  list  all  property  in  district, 
making  report  to  the  trustees. 

Section  11.  Legal  voters  in  a  district  must  serve  in  any  dis- 
trict office  if  elected  or  pay  a  fine. 

Section  12.  Legal  voters  may  levy  a  tax  of  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  on  property — provided  no  person  shall  pay  more  than 
$10  annually. 

Section  13.  Provides  for  presiding  officer  for  meetings  and 
gives  plan  of  levying  the  taxes. 

Section  14.  Trustees  shall  issue  a  warrant  to  the  collector  to 
collect  taxes. 

Section  15.  Appropriation  of  $2  out  of  every  $100  paid  into 
the  state  treasury  is  appropriated  to  the  common  schools.  Also 
five-sixths  of  the  interest  on  the  permanent  school  fund.     This 

16V1 


418  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

money  to  be  pro-rated  among  counties  according  to  the  number 
of  school  children  in  each  county. 

Section  16.  Auditor  to  draw  funds  from  state  treasury  and 
pay  over  to  county  treasurer. 

Section  17.  County  treasurer  pays  each  district  treasurer 
his  proportionate  share  of  the  state  taxes. 

Section  18.  The  rents  or  income  from  the  school  lands  shall 
be  divided  among  tax  payers  in  proportion  to  his  school  tax. 

Section  19.  Auditor  and  secretary  of  state  made  commission- 
ers of  school  fund. 

Section  20.  Explains  how  the  school  fund  on  deposit  in  the 
state  bank  may  be  drawn  and  utilized  by  the  commissioners. 

Section  21.  The  county  clerk  shall  make  abstract  reports  of 
the  business  of  the  trustees  in  his  county  which  shall  be  for- 
warded to  the  secretary  of  state. 

Section  22.  The  legal  voters  may  erect  school  houses,  buy 
furniture,  may  require  legal  voters  to  furnish  labor  on  buildings 
or  in  providing  fuel. 

Section  23.     Persons  holding  school  funds  must  give  bonds. 

Section  24.  Teachers  may  be  paid  in  merchantable  produce 
instead  of  in  cash. 

It  appears  that  this  free  school  system  was  a  new  system 
except  in  some  New  England  states.  Ford  says  schools  sprang 
up  in  all  the  counties.  But  it  appears  that  none  of  the  two  per 
cent  from  the  state  treasury  was  ever  paid  to  the  county  treas- 
urer. 

The  valuable  phases  of  the  law  were  repealed  in  1829.  This 
has  been  explained  by  the  statement  that  95  per  cent  of  the 
people  of  Illinois  at  that  time  had  come  from  slave  holding  states 
where  they  had  not  been  used  to  taxation  to  support  schools,  and 
they  rebelled  against  the  system  which  required  taxes  for  sup- 
port. The  schools  of  Illinois  languished  from  1829  to  1855. 

Population  Centers 

The  population  of  Illinois  in  the  summer  of  1818  was  34,620. 
In  the  summer  of  1820  it  had  grown  to  55,162.  In  1830,  the 
census  showed  157,445.  This  was  indeed  a  rapid  increase.  It 
is  difficult  to  locate  this  population  by  the  census  report  for  1820 
and  1830  for  the  counties  have  greatly  changed  and  increased 
between  1820  and  1830.  The  census  reports  for  the  villages 
available  in  this  period  is  unofficial.  The  Rev.  John  M.  Peck 
gathered  up  statistics  of  the  several  towns  and  villages  in  the 
second  decade  after  the  admission  of  the  Territory  into  the 
union.  But  these  were  obtained  by  estimating  the  number  of 
inhabitants  by  counting  the  dwellings  and  multiplying  by  the 
average  sized  family. 

In  settling  a  new  country  some  one  must  take  the  lead  and  he 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  419 

may  or  may  not  select  the  best  place  for  a  population  center.  By 
population  center  we  mean  a  sort  of  distributing  point  for  the 
immigrants.  Thus  Kaskaskia,  the  first  place  in  Illinois  where 
white  people  settled  permanently,  was  known  all  through  the 
older  states  as  well  as  in  countries  of  the  old  world.  Any  one 
who  wished  to  visit  the  Illinois  country  in  the  eighteenth  century 
would  first  make  his  way  to  Kaskaskia  and  from  that  place 
journey  to  the  part  of  the  country  he  wished  to  investigate. 
Chicago  served  the  same  purpose  for  the  northeastern  part  of 
Illinois.  Persons  from  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  New  Eng- 
land who  wished  to  prospect  or  settle  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state  would  first  make  their  way  by  lake  travel  to  the  young 
village  of  Chicago  and  from  there  to  the  regions  they  wished  to 
become  acquainted  with.  Vincennes  became  a  well  known  place 
to  all  people  seeking  a  place  to  settle  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  Cahokia,  and  St.  Louis  served  as  the  distributing  points 
for  all  the  southwestern  part  of  Illinois. 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  second  decade  of  statehood  the  Rev. 
Timothy  Flint  traveled  over  Illinois  and  gave  a  very  accurate 
description  of  the  country  and  giving  some  notion  of  the  location 
of  the  population  centers.  We  shall  give  a  few  of  these  centers 
with  reasons  why  they  seemed  to  serve  that  purpose  in  the 
settling  of  Illinois.  The  period  covered  in  estimating  population 
is  from  1825  to  1830. 

Quincy  was  a  town  of  some  300  people.  People  interested  in 
selecting  land  in  the  Military  tract  would  take  upper  Mississippi 
steamboat  at  St.  Louis  with  Quincy  for  the  destination. 

Carlyle  on  the  Kaskaskia  was  considered  as  a  prospective 
capital  city.  The  river  was  navigable  for  small  vessels,  and 
several  roads  centered  at  Carlyle.  There  were  not  more  than 
125  inhabitants.  It  was  on  the  direct  line  of  travel  between 
Vincennes  and  St.  Louis.  A  direct  road  also  ran  from  Equality 
to  Mt.  Vernon,  thence  to  Carlyle  and  to  Greenville  and  Hillsboro. 
A  road  led  from  Kaskaskia  to  Waterloo,  and  thence  to  Belleville, 
Lebanon,  and  Carlyle. 

Chicago  was  our  only  lake  port  and  immigrants  destined  for 
the  Danville  district,  Ottawa,  or  Galena  would  find  direct  roads 
from  Chicago  to  these  points.  Chicago  was  a  town  of  perhaps 
1200  people  in  1825. 

Vandalia  was  the  capital.  It  was  on  the  Kaskaskia.  It  was 
on  the  direct  travel  between  St.  Louis  and  Terre  Haute,  and 
between  Mount  Carmel  and  Hillsboro.  These  roads  were  laid 
out  shortly  after  the  capital  was  located  at  Vandalia.  Travelers 
would  come  to  the  capital  and  from  here  would  investigate  the 
surrounding  country. 

Shawneetown  was  born  with  the  century.  It  was  the  place 
for  debarkation  for  immigrants  coming  down  the  Ohio,  destined 
for  the  southeast  part  of  the  state. 


420  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Carrollton  was  on  the  very  fringe  of  the  settlements  as  they 
moved  east  and  north  away  from  the  lower  Illinois  River.  The 
country  was  exceedingly  rich  and  well  watered  and  people  flocked 
to  this  county  seat  in  large  numbers.  It  was  on  a  direct  road 
from  St.  Louis,  Alton,  Jerseyville,  White  Hall,  and  Jacksonville. 

Mount  Vernon  was  settled  about  1817  or  1818,  but  it  was  a 
well  known  point  on  the  north  side  of  Casey's  prairie  much 
earlier  than  the  date  of  actual  settlement.  The  town  was  small, 
but  well  known  to  travelers  and  settlers. 

Ottawa  was  situated  on  the  Illinois  where  the  Fox  enters  the 
former  stream.  As  a  point  in  travel  it  was  known  by  the  French 
and  Indians  long  before  the  white  settled  there.  It  was  settled 
by  whites  in  1825  and  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1838.  The 
town  proper  grew  rather  slowly  at  first,  but  it  was  a  well  known 
point.  A  direct  road  from  Ottawa  to  Galena  crossed  Rock  River 
at  Dixon.  Travel  from  Chicago  to  the  lead  mines  came  by  way 
of  Ottawa. 

Edwardsville  became  well  known  in  the  War  of  1812  from 
the  fact  that  Fort  Russell,  the  headquarters  and  base  of  opera- 
tions for  both  state  and  national  government  for  operations  in 
Illinois,  was  situated  within  a  mile  or  so  from  the  village.  By 
1825  the  village  was  probably  a  place  of  200  people  or  more. 

Jacksonville  was  the  best  known  town  in  Central  Illinois  up 
to  the  time  Springfield  was  selected  as  the  capital  in  1836.  The 
town  was  laid  out  in  1825.  It  was  about  this  time  selected  as  the 
seat  of  Illinois  College,  one  of  the  first  institutions  of  higher 
learning  to  be  permanently  established  in  Illinois.  It  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  richest  farming  land  in  the  state.  It  was  on  a 
well  established  road  from  Indianapolis  to  Danville,  and  Quincy. 
The  town  grew  very  rapidly  and  the  rich  land  for  many  miles 
around  was  soon  all  taken  up. 

Golconda  was  never  a  large  place  in  the  early  days,  but  it  was 
well  known.  A  ferry  was  established  as  early  as  1800,  or  before. 
Good  roads  led  into  the  interior.  One  starting  from  Golconda 
passed  through  Frankfort,  Nashville,  Belleville,  and  to  St.  Louis. 

The  Belleville  site  was  selected  on  March  10,  1814.  The 
county  seat  had  been  at  Cahokia  since  1790,  but  this  village  was 
largely  French  and  the  Americans  were  anxious  to  be  rid  of 
the  unprogressive  ways  of  the  early  settlers,  and  so  in  1813  they 
secured  an  order  from  the  Territorial  Legislature  to  move  the 
county  seat  to  a  place  to  be  selected  by  James  Lemen,  Dr.  Cald- 
well Cairns,  John  Hays,  Isaac  Enochs,  William  Scott,  Nathan 
Chambers,  and  Jacob  Short — all  Americans.  They  selected  a 
beautiful  spot  of  high  ground  on  the  farm  of  George  Blair, 
thirteen  miles  southeast  of  St.  Louis.  One  acre  was  given  by 
Mr.  Blair  for  a  public  square;  he  also  gave  every  fifth  lot  out 
of  the  twenty-five  acres  surrounding  the  square  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  the  public  buildings-     The  town  was  platted  early 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  421 

in  1815.  The  place  grew  rapidly.  By  1835  it  had  nearly  a 
thousand  population.  It  was  a  manufacturing  town  from  the 
beginning.  A  very  early  map  shows  it  on  the  road  from  Shaw- 
neetown  through  Equality,  Frankfort  (now  West  Frankfort), 
Nashville,  Belleville,  to  St.  Louis.  Belleville  became  the  center 
of  a  dozen  communities  before  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the 
Union. 

Springfield  was  settled  first  in  1819,  made  the  county  seat 
in  1820,  and  land  office  located  there  in  1823.  Between  1823  and 
1828  nearly  a  half  million  acres  of  land  was  sold  from  the  Spring- 
field land  office.  The  land  was  exceedingly  fertile  and  in  most 
part  well  drained,  though  to  the  south  the  land  is  comparatively 
level.  The  town  grew  so  rapidly  and  the  country  round  about 
it  was  quickly  settled.  In  fact  Springfield  became  the  center  of 
the  Sangamon  country  of  which  we  shall  speak  later. 

Palestine,  a  most  interesting  center  in  an  early  day  was  the 
only  town  in  Crawford  County,  which  was  laid  off  by  the  Legis- 
lature in  1816-  Crawford  County  included  all  of  Illinois  east  of 
the  third  principal  meridian  and  north  of  the  parallel  of  Olney, 
Richland  County.  La  Motte,  a  French  trader,  settled  at  the 
mouth  of  La  Motte  Creek  at  a  very  early  date  but  left  when 
the  War  of  1812  began.  American  settlers  arrived  in  1811,  and 
in  1812  built  a  fort  about  where  Palestine  is  which  was  called 
Fort  La  Motte.  At  the  close  of  the  war  many  settlers  from  the 
south  came,  and  the  village  was  laid  out  at  the  south  end  of  La 
Motte  Prairie.  A  land  office  was  located  here  about  1820  or 
1821.  All  the  eastern  side  of  Illinois  north  of  Vincennes  and 
south  of  Paris  was  settled,  with  Palestine  as  a  center. 

Albion,  the  county  seat  of  Edwards  County,  was  a  well  known 
center  in  the  first  decade  of  the  state's  history.  There  were 
settlers  in  Edwards  County  as  early  as  1809,  and  in  1812  and 
1813  the  Indians  killed  some  of  the  settlers.  But  the  real  settle- 
ment began  with  the  coming  of  Morris  Birkbeck.  In  1817  when 
he  crossed  the  Wabash  and  reached  the  home  of  a  Mr.  Williams 
on  the  edge  of  Big  Prairie,  now  in  White  County,  July  26,  1817, 
he  found  300  acres  of  corn  growing,  and  the  militia  assembled 
to  the  number  of  thirty,  twenty  of  whom  carried  rifles.  But 
farther  north  he  found  only  lonely  hunters'  cabins.  He  located 
his  land-purchase  of  1400  acres  half  way  between  the  Big  and  the 
Little  Wabash-  Here  he  and  his  friend  laid  out  two  villages. 
Wanboro  and  New  Albion.  Mr.  Birkbeck  began  Wanboro  August, 
1818,  while  Mr.  Fowler  began  New  Albion  October  of  the  same 
year.  They  were  two  miles  apart.  By  1819  there  were  400 
English  men  and  700  Americans  on  this  immediate  vicinity.  It 
was  called  the  English  Prairie  Settlement.  It  was  also  known 
as  the  Marine  Settlement  because  many  of  the  English  settlers 
had  been  English  seamen.  The  reason  Albion  was  so  well  known 
as  a  center  was  the  fact  that  so  much  was  written  and  printed 


422  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

about  it.  Birkbeck  himself,  George  Flowers,  William  Cobbett, 
Thos.  Hulme,  John  Woods,  Bradshaw  Fearon,  William  Faux,  and 
many  more  wrote,  between  1817  and  1825,  letter  sketches,  books, 
and  pamphlets  which  were  printed  in  both  England  and  America. 

Trade  and  Commerce 

Trade  for  the  first  decade  was  generally  of  the  style  of  barter. 
Money  was  scarce  after  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  till  the 
opening  of  the  State  bank  in  1821-  After  1821  there  was  plenty 
of  money  but  it  was  of  such  uncertain  value  that  it  did  not  alto- 
gether displace  the  barter  system.  One  essential  element  in  a 
permanent  and  profitable  trade  system  is  a  non-fluctuating  unit 
of  exchange.  A  bushel  of  wheat  has  a  permanent  value  as  a 
food.  Likewise  a  pound  of  butter.  A  milk  cow  will  exchange 
for  so  many  sheep.  True  enough,  but  if  the  wheat  crop  is  short 
people  might  be  willing  to  give  more  pounds  of  bacon  for  a 
bushel  of  wheat,  but  the  values  do  not  change  over  night.  The 
money  that  should  have  been  the  standard  of  value  in  the  com- 
mercial world  in  Illinois  was  more  uncertain  than  the  weather. 
A  man  might  accept  $100  in  payment  of  a  debt  and  on  the  mor- 
row attempt  to  pay  a  debt  of  $100  which  he  owed  only  to  find 
that  his  $100  would  pay  only  $90  of  his  debt. 

The  first  installment  of  the  pioneers  made  little  use  of  any 
form  of  money.  They  lived  from  hunting,  fishing,  and  trapping 
and  the  very  few  things  they  could  not  produce  could  easily  be 
secured  through  barter.  This  early  class  of  immigrants  was 
mainly  from  the  mountains  of  Kentucky,  Virginia,  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  and  as  the  country  became  more  thickly  settled,  they  moved 
toward  the  west  where  they  found  the  economic  problem  more 
earily  solved.  There  were  many  good  industrious  people  among 
the  early  comers  and  not  a  few  trifling  ones  in  the  second  wave 
of  immigrants- 

But  a  goodly  number  of  the  people  was  industrious,  plain 
farmers,  small  merchants,  and  unenterprising  manufacturers. 
Villages  were  plentifully  scattered  along  all  the  public  roads,  and 
in  these  villages  there  were  always  to  be  found  what  came  to  be 

called  country  stores.     Peck  in  his  Gazateer  says,  "C has 

five  stores,  three  taverns,  a  grist  and  saw  mill  and  forty  fami- 
lies." That  is  one  store  to  eight  families  in  the  village.  Another 
writer  says  that  "in  1819-21  there  was  hardly  such  a  thing  as 
money  to  be  found.  Many  a  family  lived  a  whole  year  without 
the  possession  or  the  use  of  $50  in  cash." 

In  such  cases  the  family  must  exchange  the  simple  products 
of  the  farm  for  the  bare  necessities  from  the  stores.  But  in 
spite  of  all  the  facts  that  may  be  stated  as  to  the  lack  of  trade 
between  the  country  people  and  the  store  keepers,  there  are 
other  facts  that  should  be  stated.     Robert  W.  Patterson,  D.D., 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  423 

in  an  address  before  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  in  1880,  tells 
of  his  personal  recollections  of  the  economic  conditions  in  the 
earliest  years  of  statehood  as  he  lived  in  Southern  Illinois  as  a 
young  man.  "The  clothes  of  women,  like  those  of  the  men,  were 
almost  entirely  of  home  manufacture  except  in  the  older  villages- 
Their  bonnets  were  occasionally  purchased  from  the  stores,  but' 
more  commonly  they  were  of  the  simple  Virginia  style.  From 
the  villages,  however,  the  use  of  imported  materials  for  women's 
wear,  gradually  extended  into  the  country  and  young  ladies  es- 
pecially, before  1825,  began  to  appear  in  calicoes  or  richer  goods 
imported  from  the  distant  markets." 

The  whole  problem  of  local  trade  or  the  more  extended  com- 
mercial transactions  of  shipping  and  importing,  was  almost 
wholly  dependent  upon  roads  and  waterways  as  a  means  of 
transporting  the  produce  of  the  country  people  and  of  bringing 
in  the  manufactured  goods  of  distant  places.  Any  people  are 
intelligent,  as  well  as  cultured,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  that 
they  exchange  their  own  products  for  the  products  of  other 
peoples.  This  trade  or  exchange  with  other  peoples  contributes 
not  only  to  the  physical  welfare  of  a  people,  but  minister  as  well 
to  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  life.  The  wearing  of  silks,  satins, 
broadcloths,  and  silk  hats  should  not  be  condemned  for  these  are 
the  signs  of  the  intercourse  of  a  people  with  the  outside  world. 
In  most  cases  where  people  from  the  old  world  came  in  groups 
and  settled  in  neighborhoods,  they  were  inclined  to  introduce 
the  use  of  a  better  grade  of  goods  and  to  indulge  in  some  of 
the  luxuries.  The  English  settlers  who  located  in  Edwards 
County  brought  with  them  many  evidences  of  a  better  social 
life  than  they  found  in  the  newly  settled  parts  of  Illinois.  An 
English  colony  also  settled  in  Monroe  County  in  1818.  They, 
too,  introduced  some  new  types  of  dress  and  furniture,  etc.  The 
Germans  who  early  came  into  St.  Clair  County  were  among 
those  who  showed  that  people  could  be  hard  workers,  thrifty, 
and  yet  enjoy  some  of  the  better  things  of  life. 

The  stores  soon  began  to  bring  on  such  things  as  could  not  be 
produced  on  the  farm  and  the  people  were  eager  purchasers- 
The  coming  of  the  Yankees  also  stimulated  trade  and  indirectly 
assisted  in  the  opening  of  roads  and  waterways.  The  steam- 
boats were  improving  in  their  construction  and  increasing  in 
number  and  they  were  continually  coming  closer  to  the  interior. 
Trade  was  therefore  improving. 

From  1820  to  1830  a  larger  percent  of  the  immigrants  were 
skilled  laborers,  merchants  and  professional  men  than  had  come 
in  the  preceding  decade.  These  lived  some  better  than  the  farm- 
ers, and  demanded  of  the  store  keepers  a  greater  variety  of 
goods  in  the  stores  and  this  increased  the  trade  with  New 
Orleans  and  the  eastern  cities. 


424  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  Sangamon  Country 

A  study  of  the  encroachment  of  population  upon  the  interior 
of  the  state  would  reveal  the  movement  up  the  Ohio  and  up  the 
Mississippi.  The  immigration  was  from  the  east  and  southeast. 
•Those  who  came  from  the  east  generally  left  the  Ohio  before  they 
reached  its  mouth  and  proceeded  inward  from  that  stream  or 
traveled  up  the  Wabash.  In  this  way  the  southeastern  side  of 
the  state  was  peopled,  the  density  decreasing  gradually  towards 
the  interior  usually  at  a  right  angle  to  the  rivers.  Those  who 
came  from  the  Southeast  appeared  to  shift  to  the  west  side  of  the 
state  and  traveled  up  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois.  This  left 
an  unoccupied  tongue  of  land  reaching  south  and  west  through 
the  south  end  of  the  state.  When  the  state  was  admitted  into  the 
union  there  was  less  than  two  people  to  the  square  mile  in  the 
counties  of  Jefferson,  the  east  part  of  Washington,  Marion,  west 
part  of  Wayne,  Clay,  Effingham,  Cumberland  and  west  part  of 
Jasper.  The  fact  that  this  tongue  of  land  was  unsettled  can 
be  accounted  for  by  showing  that  it  is  too  far  east  to  have  the 
advantages  of  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Kaskaskia  and  too 
far  west  to  have  the  use  of  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Wabash 
and  the  Ohio-  In  other  words  ail  the  good  drainage  basins  in 
the  south  end  of  the  state  were  occupied  in  1818.  This  left  open 
for  settlement  the  basin  of  the  Sangamon  River  which  flows 
into  the  Illinois  River  from  the  east. 

The  Sangamon  and  its  branches  drain  wholly  or  in  part  the 
counties  of  Sangamon,  Christian,  Macon,  Cass,  Menard,  Logan, 
Piatt,  parts  of  Champaign,  McLean,  Tazewell  and  Mason.  The 
basin  of  the  Sangamon  River  is  probably  the  richest  area  of  its 
size  in  the  state.  Sangamon  is  Pottawattomi  for  "Good  things 
to  eat." 

Ferdinand  Ernest,  a  German  traveler,  who  explored  large 
areas  of  the  interior  of  the  United  States  in  the  years  1819  and 
1820,  wrote  a  book  describing  the  Sangamon  country,  which  was 
published  in  Hildersheim,  in  Hanover,  in  1823.  This  book  was 
immediately  brought  to  the  United  States  and  extensively  circu- 
lated. It  was  also  generally  read  in  the  old  world.  This  little 
volume  helped  to  give  prominence  to  the  Sangamon  country. 

We  shall  trace  briefly  his  trip  into  the  Sangamon  country.  On 
July  23,  1819,  Mr.  Ernest  reached  Edwardsville.  The  Kickapoo 
Indians  were  encamped  near  the  town  ready  to  make  a  treaty 
with  the  United  States,  ceding  their  lands  in  Illinois-  These 
probably  were  the  first  real  Indians  which  Mr.  Ernest  had  seen 
and  he  describes  quite  fully  their  appearance  and  gives  some  of 
their  customs.  In  Edwardsville  Mr.  Ernest  met  his  traveling 
companion,  a  Mr.  Hallman  and  together  they  went  four  miles 
out  of  the  town  to  see  a  country  man  by  the  name  of  Barensbach. 
From  this  man  they  secured  information  which  they  found  very 
valuable  to  them. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  425 

From  Edwardsville  they  proceeded  to  Vandalia,  the  new 
capital.  He  evidently  found  quite  a  few  people  here  for  he  says 
they  told  him  the  lands  in  the  Sangamon  country  were  much 
finer  than  they  were  around  Vandalia.  He  did  not  buy  land  but 
commenced  the  erection  of  a  house.  "We  began  to  build  a  little 
log  house  here  from  logs,  after  the  manner  of  the  Americans — 
the  logs  are  laid  one  upon  another,  the  ends  let  down  into  the 
grooves.  As  soon  as  the  building  was  far  enough  advanced  so 
that  my  companion  was  able  to  finish  it  alone,  I  started  upon  a 
journey  to  view  the  wonderful  land  upon  the  Sangamon  before 
I  returned  to  Europe." 

On  the  27th  of  August,  1819,  with  a  guide  he  went  west  from 
Vandalia  about  twenty  miles,  crossing  Shoal  Creek-  He  then 
turned  northwest  into  what  is  now  Macoupin  County  and  struck 
the  road  from  Kaskaskia  through  Waterloo,  Belleville,  Collins- 
ville,  Edwardsville,  Bunker-Hill,  Carlinville,  Girard,  and  Spring- 
field. He  says  as  soon  as  he  passed  over  the  divide  which 
separates  the  drainage  into  the  Kaskaskia  from  the  region 
draining  the  Sangamon,  there  was  a  marked  change  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  soil. 

Another  writer  of  about  the  same  date  as  Mr.  Ernest's  visit 
says:  "The  country  here  is  beautiful — equal  in  native  attrac- 
tions, though  not  in  classic  recollections,  to  the  scenes  I  visited 
and  admired  in  Italy.  The  vale  of  Arms  is  not  more  beautiful 
than  the  valley  of  the  Sangamon,  with  its  lovely  groves  and 
murmuring  brooks  and  flowing  meads." 

Mr.  Ernest  seems  to  have  encircled  Springfield  (as  there  were 
only  a  few  families  there  in  August,  1819.)  He  visited  the 
region  of  Elkhart  Grove.  He  says  this  is  a  hill  some  two  miles 
in  circuit  covered  with  heavy  timber,  the  only  timber  in  a  circuit 
of  several  miles.  A  Mr.  Latham  lived  on  the  hill  and  had  raised 
thirty  acres  of  fine  corn  in  the  level  land  to  the  east.  He  thought 
the  Elkhart  locality  a  very  beautiful  country.  He  speaks  of 
two  very  fine  springs  on  this  elevation-  Mr.  Ernest  says  this 
farm  of  Mr.  Latham  was  the  farthest  north  of  any  farm  in  the 
central  part  of  the  state.  He  hoped  to  visit  the  site  of  the 
Kickapoo  village  just  north  across  Salt  Creek,  but  that  stream 
was  at  flood  and  he  did  not  venture  to  cross  but  returned  to 
Vandalia  in  time  for  the  sale  of  lots  September  6,  1819. 

Following  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the  Union  migration 
into  the  counties  of  the  Sangamon  country  increased  greatly. 
The  roads  leading  into  this  region  were  lined  with  movers  going 
into  that  region.  The  population  must  have  grown  rapidly  for 
when  the  vote  was  taken  in  the  summer  of  1824  on  "for  or 
against  a  convention"  the  friends  of  slavery  polled  153  votes. 
The  anti-slavery  vote  was  772.  This  is  a  total  of  875  which 
indicates  a  population  of  4,375. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  NEW  STATE 

Civil  Organizations — Legislature  at  Work — Black  Code — 
Moving  the  Capital — Money  and  Banks — People  in 
1818 

The  mere  fact  that  the  people  of  Illinois  are  soon  to  pass  out 
from  under  a  territorial  form  of  government  into  that  of  a  state 
will  make  little  difference  in  their  everyday  life.  The  daily 
tasks  of  toil  in  shop,  in  field,  in  store  or  in  the  home  are  the 
same  they  have  been  for  many  years  preceding.  In  fact  the 
daily  life  of  any  people  is  slightly  affected  by  legislation.  The 
farmer,  the  mechanic,  the  common  laborer,  and  even  the  pro- 
fessional man,  finds  the  daily  round  of  life  much  the  same  from 
day  to  day  regardless  of  the  orderly  changes  in  forms  of  govern- 
ment. The  housewife  finds  her  tasks  no  more  easily  performed, 
nor  more  slavish,  because  the  form  of  government  has  changed. 
The  religious  life  will  continue  in  the  same  lines  after  as  before 
the  governmental  change.  Likewise  the  social  changes,  if  any 
come,  will  come  very  slowly.  The  experiences  of  three  wars 
show  that  the  great  forces  of  revolution  and  war  are  slow  in 
reaching  many  of  the  phases  of  the  life  of  a  people.  The  winter 
that  the  British  troops  occupied  Philadelphia,  1777-78,  the  peo- 
ple of  that  city  led  a  gay  life,  and  the  farmers  within  a  radius 
of  twenty  miles  of  that  city  continued  to  market  their  produce 
in  Philadelphia  as  usual.  It  has  been  said  that  life  was  as  gay 
in  Paris  during  the  World  war,  in  many  ways,  as  at  other  times. 
In  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  when  the  Government  was  passing 
through  the  most  trying  days,  there  were  many  homes  and  even 
neighborhoods  that  knew  nothing  of  the  war  except  what  they 
may  have  chanced  to  see  in  a  stray  paper  or  learned  from  their 
better  informed  neighbors.  However,  these  simple  folk  who 
lived  in  the  remoter  parts  from  the  centers  of  population  dis- 
covered in  a  very  real  way  that  the  regular  ongoing  of  life  had 
been  disturbed  when  they  wished  to  buy  domestics,  coffee,  tea 
and  other  necessities  of  life  at  the  village  store. 

But  we  must  be  careful  not  to  overemphasize  the  lesson. 
There  will  be  changes  which  will  come  to  those  who  live  through 
political  evolutions  as  well  as  through  political  revolutions.  We 
shall  understand  the  matter  better  if  we  remember  that  political 
changes  are  brought  about  by  the  very  active  work  of  a  small 
number  of  professional  politicians,  and  such  changes  as  may 

426 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  427 

come  to  a  people  by  reason  of  changes  in  government  come 
rather  gradually. 

Civil  Organization 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  Constitution  was  made  in  the 
month  of  August,  1818.  Congress  would  not  regularly  meet  till 
the  first  Monday  in  December,  but  a  called  session  met  on  Mon- 
day, November  16,  1818,  and  on  the  first  day,  following  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  to  act  in  conjunction  with  a  like  com- 
mittee from  the  Senate  to  notify  the  President  that  the  two 
houses  were  ready  to  received  any  communication  he  might 
wish  to  lay  before  them,  the  speaker,  Mr.  Clay,  laid  the  Con- 
stitution of  Illinois  before  the  House.  But  it  was  known  that 
considerable  time  would  be  required  to  secure  the  adoption  of 
the  Constitution  by  the  two  houses  of  Congress.  The  politicians 
were  therefore  loath  to  wait  till  Congress  had  accepted  the  Con- 
stitution. So  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  provided  in  the 
Schedule,  section  9,  that  "The  president  of  the  convention  shall 
issue  writs  of  election  directed  to  the  several  sheriffs  of  the 
several  counties  *  *  *  requiring  them  to  cause  an  election 
to  be  held  for  governor,  lieutenant  governor,  representative  to 
the  present  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  members  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  sheriffs  and  coroners  in  the  respective 
counties;  such  election  to  commence  on  the  third  Thursday  of 
September  next,  and  to  continue  for  that  and  two  succeeding 
days,  etc." 

Accordingly,  on  the  3d  of  September,  and  on  the  two  follow- 
ing days,  an  election  was  held,  at  which  time  the  officers  enu- 
merated above  were  elected.  As  has  been  pointed  out  before, 
this  election  was  held  months  before  the  Constitution  was  ac- 
cepted by  Congress,  and,  strictly  speaking,  was  unconstitutional. 

Article  2  of  the  Constitution,  section  24,  provided  that  "The 
first  session  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  commence  on  the 
first  Monday  of  October  next  (1818),  and  forever  after  the 
General  Assembly  shall  meet  on  the  first  Monday  in  December 
next  ensuing  the  election  of  the  members  thereof,  and  at  no 
other  period,  unless  as  provided  by  this  Constitution." 

Accordingly,  the  Legislature  met  on  the  day  provided,  when 
the  governor  and  other  elected  state  officers  took  the  oath  of 
office  as  provided  in  article  2,  section  26.  The  General  Assembly 
then  proceeded  to  the  business  before  it,  which  will  be  discussed 
in  the  next  topic.  It  will  be  recalled  that  the  Constitution  pro- 
vided for  the  election  by  the  people  of  only  a  limited  number  of 
the  public  officers.  To  show  this  a  scheme  is  presented  below 
giving  the  name  of  the  office,  the  person  who  filled  it,  and  the 
method  of  his  selection. 

Governor,  Shadrach  Bond,  elected  by  the  people. 

Lieutenant  governor,  Pierre  Menard,  elected  by  the  people. 


428  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Secretary  of  state,  Elias  Kent  Kane,  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernor. 

Auditor  of  public  accounts,  Elijah  C.  Berry,  elected  by  General 
Assembly. 

Attorney  general,  Daniel  P.  Cook,  elected  by  General  As- 
sembly. 

State  treasurer,  John  Thomas,  elected  by  General  Assembly. 

Supreme  Court,  Joseph  Phillips,  Thomas  C.  Browne,  William 
P.  Foster,  John  Reynolds,  elected  by  General  Assembly. 

U.  S.  senators,  Ninian  Edwards,  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  elected  by 
General  Assembly. 

Member  of  Congress,  John  McLean,  elected  by  the  people. 

State  printers,  Blackwell  &  Berry,  elected  by  General  As- 
sembly. 

State  senators,  fourteen  members,  elected  by  the  people. 

House  of  Representatives,  twenty-eight  members,  elected  by 
the  people. 

Sheriffs,  one  for  each  county,  elected  by  the  people. 

Coroners,  one  for  each  county,  elected  by  the  people. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  out  of  fourteen  positions,  the  people 
elected  seven,  and  seven  of  them  were  chosen  by  the  governor  or 
the  General  Assembly.  By  our  present  Constitution,  the  people 
elect  twelve  of  the  thirteen  positions.  The  public  printer  is  the 
only  appointive  position  out  of  the  thirteen  enumerated  above. 

Legislature  at  Work 

Section  24  of  article  2  provided  that  the  new  government 
should  begin  its  work  on  Monday,  the  5th  of  October,  1818. 
Accordingly,  there  appeared  in  Kaskaskia  on  that  day  those 
citizens  who  had  been  selected  at  the  election  in  September  for 
the  elective  offices  according  to  the  Constitution.  They  were 
sworn  in  and  the  new  venture  was  launched.  The  governor  de- 
livered to  the  General  Assembly  his  inaugural  message,  which 
contained  some  good  advice  as  to  the  curbing  of  party  spirit. 
The  General  Assembly  was  a  body  of  rather  new  men,  many  of 
the  men  familiar  with  the  government  under  the  territorial 
period  were  not  selected  for  public  office  even  when  they  offered 
themselves  as  candidates.  It  is  said  there  were  eleven  men  out 
of  the  twenty-eight  in  the  Lower  House  who  had  not  held  public 
office.  On  the  whole,  it  would  seem  that  the  Legislature  was 
made  up  largely  of  men  with  little  or  no  experience  which  would 
tend  to  fit  them  for  the  important  work  to  be  done.  Nathaniel 
Pope,  who  had  done  so  much  for  Illinois,  offered  himself  as  a 
candidate  for  the  lower  branch  of  the  Legislature,  but  was 
defeated.  He  was  soon  appointed  a  district  judge  by  President 
Monroe,  which  position  he  held  for  many  years. 

The  first  day  of  the  session  was  taken  up  in  organizing  the 
two  houses  and  in  canvassing  the  returns  of  the  elections.    On 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  429 

the  second  day  they  participated  in  the  inaugural  ceremonies, 
and  on  the  third  day  the  joint  session  of  the  General  Assembly 
proceeded  to  the  election  of  the  two  United  States  senators.  On 
the  fourth  day  of  the  session  the  joint  session  of  the  two  houses 
proceeded  to  the  election  of  the  four  members  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  Their  names  appear  on  a  preceding  page.  On  the  fifth 
day  the  joint  session  selected  the  men  to  fill  the  positions  of 
attorney-general,  auditor,  treasurer,  and  public  printers. 

The  preliminaries  were  now  over  and  the  General  Assembly 
was  ready  to  begin  the  work  of  law  making.  As  has  been  stated 
on  a  preceding  page,  there  now  arose  doubts  as  to  the  legality 
of  any  measures  which  this  body  might  enact  into  law.  The 
Constitution,  which  had  been  made  in  August,  and  which  had 
been  presented  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  National  Congress 
for  its  acceptance,  had  not  yet  been  ratified  by  that  honorable 
body.  The  Legislature  was  eager  to  begin  the  task  set  before  it 
by  the  governor's  message.  But  just  as  the  young  statesmen 
were  ready  to  test  their  powers  in  the  new  field,  the  Senate 
threw  cold  water  on  the  whole  affair  by  passing  a  resolution 
authorizing  a  joint  committee  to  consider  the  advisability  of 
adjourning  the  session  till  such  time  as  might  be  agreed  upon, 
giving  ample  time  for  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution  by  the 
Congress.  "Be  it  therefore,  and  it  is  further  resolved,  that  the 
governor  of  the  state  be,  and  he  is  hereby  requested,  as  soon  as 
he  shall  ascertain  that  this  state  has  been  so  admitted  into  the 
Union,  to  issue  his  proclamation  for  calling  a  special  meeting  of 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  state,  at  a  convenient  time  there- 
after." Efforts  were  made  to  modify  the  resolution,  but  after 
considerable  discussion,  the  two  houses  passed  the  resolution 
and  adjourned  on  Tuesday,  October  13,  1815. 

The  legal  status  of  all  that  was  done  by  this  so-called  Legis- 
lature was  never  determined.  It  was  by  common  consent  ac- 
cepted as  proper  and  legitimate.  But  the  mere  fact  that  the 
Legislature  refused  to  enact  any  bills  into  law  shows  that  there 
were  grave  doubts  in  the  minds  of  the  members  as  to  the  legality 
of  any  work  which  the  so-called  Legislature  did.  However,  there 
was  one  measure  of  interest  which  should  be  noticed.  Before 
the  Legislature  adjourned  it  complied  with  the  thirteenth  section 
of  the  Schedule,  which  provided  that : 

"The  General  Assembly,  at  their  first  session  holden  under 
the  authority  of  this  Constitution,  shall  petition  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States  to  grant  to  this  state  a  quantity  of  land,  to 
consist  of  not  more  than  four,  nor  less  than  one  section,  or  to 
give  this  state  the  right  of  preemption  in  the  purchase  of  said 
quantity  of  land.  The  said  land  to  be  situate  on  the  Kaskaskia 
River,  and  as  near  as  may  be,  east  of  the  third  principal  meri- 
dian on  said  river."  The  same  section,  13,  provides  that  if  the 
Congress  complies  with  the  request  of  the  Legislature  for  the 


430  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

grant,  that  the  Legislature  at  its  next  session  shall  appoint  five 
commissioners  who  shall  be  authorized  to  locate  the  said  grant, 
lay  off  the  town  which  shall  become  the  capital,  and  proceed  to 
build  a  suitable  building  as  the  state  capitol. 

The  petition  was  duly  received  by  Congress.  It  was  presented 
to  the  House  of  Representatives,  December  7th,  three  days  after 
Illinois  had  been  formally  admitted  into  the  Union.  Within  a 
few  days  a  vigorous  counter  petition  was  received  by  Congress 
signed  by  more  than  fifty  citizens  of  Illinois  protesting  against 
the  location  of  the  capital  so  far  north.  This  protest  made  it 
appear  that  the  convention  which  framed  the  Constitution  was 
not  a  representative  body,  as  the  six  delegates  from  St.  Clair 
and  Madison  represented  more  people  than  the  fourteen  dele- 
gates from  seven  other  counties.  The  protest  also  showed  that 
the  provision  in  the  Constitution  was  passed  with  sixteen  votes 
against  fifteen  in  the  negative,  out  of  thirty-three,  the  number 
elected  to  the  convention.  There  were  other  complaints.  One 
that  such  things  as  moving  the  capital  of  a  state  should  be  left 
to  the  legal  voters.  The  petition  was  not  acted  on  till  February 
25,  when  Senator  Thomas  introduced  a  bill  making  the  grant  as 
requested.  The  bill  passed  both  branches  of  Congress  and  was 
signed  by  the  President  on  the  3d  of  March,  1819.  When  the 
Legislature  reassembled  in  Kaskaskia  on  January  4,  1819,  noth- 
ing had  been  heard  of  the  petition  for  the  grant  of  the  four 
sections,  and  efforts  were  made  to  locate  the  capital  at  Carlyle, 
but  the  measure  was  defeated. 

When  the  governor  was  inducted  into  office  on  October  6,  1818, 
he  had  delivered  a  vigorous  yet  modest  inaugural  message.  He 
first  plead  for  an  abatement  of  party  spirit  or  rather  factional 
spirit.  He  hoped  that  whatever  motives  may  have  produced 
divisions,  factions,  and  unjust  resentment,  that  all  might  now 
realize  the  need  of  united  efforts  toward  the  securing  of  pros- 
perous and  profitable  launching  of  the  new  government. 

He  pointed  out  five  broad  lines  of  legislation  which  he  felt 
should  receive  the  careful  consideration  of  the  people's  chosen 
representatives. 

First,  he  called  attention  to  the  need  of  providing  funds  for 
the  necessities  of  the  new  government.  The  treasurer's  books 
showed  that  the  income  to  the  territory  from  December  2,  1817, 
to  October  1,  1818,  was  $3,979.72 ;  while  the  expenditures  for  the 
same  period  had  been  $4,039.25.  The  treasurer  estimated  the 
income  to  December  1,  1818,  as  $8,771.20 ;  and  the  outstanding 
warrants  $7,588.  This  would  leave  a  balance  of  $183.20  cash 
in  the  treasury,  which  after  paying  the  debt  of  $59.53  would 
leave  for  the  new  state  a  working  balance  of  $123.67. 

Second,  he  pointed  out  the  need  of  the  revision  of  the  laws. 
Especially  was  he  concerned  about  the  harsh  laws  which  pro- 
vided for  the  punishment  of  offenses  and  crimes. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  431 

Third,  he  called  the  attention  of  the  Legislature  to  the  need 
of  fostering  public  education.  "It  is  our  imperious  duty,  for 
the  faithful  performance  of  which  we  are  amenable  to  God  and 
our  country,  to  watch  over  this  interesting  subject." 

Fourth,  the  governor  was  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  Salt 
Works  which  the  general  government  had  been  operating  near 
the  town  of  Equality  had  not  been  profitably  managed.  There 
were  large  quantities  of  salt  manufactured,  but  the  general  gov- 
ernment had  not  profited  much  from  this  enterprise.  By  the 
terms  of  the  enabling  act  these  and  all  other  salt  wells  and 
springs  in  Illinois  had  been  turned  over  to  the  State  of  Illinois. 
The  state  was  to  have  charge  of  these  interests,  but  could  not 
sell  the  lands  or  rent  or  lease  the  salines  for  a  longer  period 
than  ten  years.  The  governor  thought  that  these  salines  if 
properly  managed  would  greatly  reinforce  the  weakened  state  of 
the  finances. 

And  lastly,  the  governor  called  the  attention  of  the  Legislature 
to  the  advisability  of  taking  steps  toward  the  construction  of  a 
canal  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Illinois  River  to  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan. 

The  Legislature  now,  January  6,  1819,  took  up  the  work  of 
law  making  in  earnest.  The  territorial  governor,  Ninian  Ed- 
wards, had  turned  over  the  control  of  affairs  to  the  new  gov- 
ernor, and  all  the  territorial  officials  had  relinquished  their 
offices  and  the  whole  problem  of  civil  administration  was  in  a 
chaotic  condition,  and  had  been  since  the  preceding  October. 
The  laws  in  force  in  Illinois  at  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  on 
January  4,  1819,  were  the  old  territorial  laws.  Many  of  these 
had  been  in  use  since  the  organization  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory in  1788.  Some  had  been  copied  from  the  statutes  of  the 
older  states  while  Illinois  was  a  part  of  the  Indiana  Territory, 
and  some  had  been  adapted  from  the  laws  of  other  states  while 
Illinois  was  a  territory  of  the  first  and  second  class. 

The  governor  had  pleaded  for  a  modification  of  the  penalties 
laid  against  misdemeanors  and  crimes.  There  were  no  jails 
and  no  penitentiary.  If  offenders  were  to  be  detained,  they  were 
confined  in  private  houses,  stores,  halls  or  other  secure  place. 
The  form  of  punishment  was  usually  whipping,  fining,  or  lan- 
guishing in  the  stocks  or  pillory.  Death  by  hanging  was  the 
penalty  upon  conviction  of  treason,  murder,  arson,  and  for  re- 
peated convictions  for  horse  stealing.  Burglary  and  robbery 
were  punishable  by  whipping,  fines,  and  imprisonment.  In  case 
of  imprisonment  for  crimes,  the  convicted  would  need  to  be  sent 
to  a  state  or  territory  where  a  penitentiary  was  maintained. 
Other  offenses  against  the  law  and  order  were  punishable  by 
whipping,  fines,  and  confinement.  Disfranchisement  and  the 
pillory  were  some  times  assessed  as  the  penalty  for  offenses.  A 
man  who  had  been  fined  and  was  unable  to  pay  his  fine  was 


432  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

sometimes  bound  out  for  a  certain  period.  Some  of  the  offenses 
were  treason,  murder,  rape,  arson,  horse  stealing,  manslaughter, 
larceny,  forgery,  assault,  hog  stealing,  gambling,  swearing,  Sab- 
bath breaking,  bigamy,  disobedience. 

The  Legislature  did  not  agree  with  the  governor  that  the 
penalties  were  severe  and  barbarous.  The  fact  is,  as  has  been 
stated,  that  these  laws  which  were  in  force  in  territorial  days 
were  all  taken  from  the  laws  of  other  states,  and  in  those  days 
public  opinion  was  not  subject  to  the  weaknesses  and  sentimen- 
tality of  the  present  day.  The  laws  were  not  recast,  but  on  the 
contrary,  the  enacting  clause  of  each  law  was  changed  to  con- 
form to  the  requirements  of  the  State  Constitution,  which  read : 
"Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  represented 
in  the  General  Assembly." 

One  task  which  fell  to  this  first  session  of  the  Legislature  was 
the  fixing  of  the  salaries  of  the  state  officials.  Some  effort  was 
made  in  the  constitutional  convention  to  fix  salaries,  at  least  to 
fix  maximum  salaries.  Section  18  of  article  2  says:  "The  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  this  state  shall  not  allow  the  following  officers 
of  government  greater  or  smaller  annual  salaries  than  as  fol- 
lows, until  the  year  1824:  The  governor,  S1,000;  and  the  secre- 
tary of  state,  $600."  When  the  Legislature  reached  the  matter 
of  salaries  they  established  the  following  amounts:  Governor 
and  the  four  Supreme  judges,  SI, 000  each;  auditor,  $700;  secre- 
tary of  state,  $600 ;  treasurer,  $500 ;  attorney  general,  S250 ; 
circuit  attorneys,  S150 ;  adjutant  general,  S150.  A  per  diem  was 
allowed  as  follows :  Lieutenant  governor,  S5  per  day  for  actual 
service ;  speaker  of  the  Lower  House,  S5  per  day  actual  service ; 
members  of  the  General  Assembly,  $4  per  day  actual  service; 
the  delegates  who  framed  the  Constitution,  $4  per  day  actual 
service. 

Another  matter  which  demanded  the  attention  of  the  law- 
makers was  the  establishment  of  some  system  of  providing  per- 
manent revenues  for  the  support  of  the  state  government.  Odd 
as  it  may  seem  there  were  people  who  were  opposed  to  the 
application  of  the  territory  to  pass  from  the  first  to  the  second 
class,  and  there  were  those  who  objected  to  the  assumption  of 
statehood  and  their  arguments  were  the  increased  financial  ob- 
ligations of  a  second  class  over  a  first  class  territory.  In  like 
manner  they  pointed  out  that  whereas  as  a  territory  of  the 
second  class  the  United  States  bore  a  large  share  of  the  finan- 
cial burden,  now  that  the  people  were  about  to  take  on  state- 
hood, they  must  carry  the  whole  load. 

Taxation  is  an  age-old  method  of  providing  government  with 
necessary  funds  for  the  support  of  the  various  branches  of  civil 
administration.  And  likewise  the  objects  upon  which  taxes 
have  always  been  laid  may  be  named  as  real  estate — land — per- 
sonal property,  and  persons.     The  scheme  of  taxation  was  sim- 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  433 

pie,  if  not  altogther  just.  All  the  annual  expense  of  the  state 
government,  some  $20,000  to  $25,000  was  to  be  raised  by  taxes 
collected  on  the  land  owned  by  nonresidents  or  bank  stock,  and 
two-thirds  of  the  tax  on  residents'  land.  The  fourth  clause  of 
section  six  of  the  Enabling  Act  provides  "that  all  the  lands 
(within  the  proposed  state)  belonging  to  the  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  residing  without  the  said  state,  shall  never  be 
taxed  higher  than  lands  belonging  to  persons  residing  therein." 
Following  the  War  of  1812,  the  Congress  set  aside  a  body  of 
land  lying  between  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  rivers  in 
which  soldiers  of  the  war  could  locate  bounty  lands.  Few  old 
soldiers  came  to  the  Bounty  Tract.  They  disposed  of  their  land 
warrants  and  eventually  large  areas  of  the  land  in  the  Bounty 
Tract  was  held  by  speculators  who  in  the  main  were  nonresi- 
dents. 

An  odd  provision  was  made  as  to  taxing  lands,  as  follows: 
All  lands  were  regarded  as  belonging  in  one  of  three  classes. 
Those  of  least  value  were  said  to  be  worth  $2.00  per  acre ;  those 
of  the  next  grade  were  supposed  to  be  worth  $3.00  per  acre; 
those  of  greatest  value  were  rated  at  $4.00  per  acre.  Each 
nonresident  landowner  determined  in  what  class  he  wished  to 
place  his  land  for  taxation.  Under  oath,  he  listed  his  land 
directly  with  the  auditor  for  taxes,  it  required  three  times  the 
tax  amount  to  redeem  them. 

There  was  the  rentals  from  the  salines  near  Equality  to  be 
listed  with  the  incomes  to  the  state.  The  county  expenses  were 
to  be  met  by  a  tax  on  slaves  and  servants  and  1/2  Per  cent  on 
personal  property  and  a  tax  on  residents'  lands.  In  some  cases 
the  county  tax  was  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  legitimate  needs 
of  the  county  and  in  a  few  cases  subsidies  were  granted  from 
the  public  treasury  to  counties  whose  income  was  not  equal  to 
the  necessary  expenditures. 

The  following  balance  sheet  is  from  Moses'  History  of  Illinois, 
and  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the  simplicity  of  the  financial 
transactions  in  those  early  days : 

Receipts  Oct.  18,  1818,  to  Dec.  31,  1820 $53,362.22 

Expenditures  for  same  period 35,655.00 

Receipts  Dec.  31,  1820,  to  Dec  31,  1822 : 

Cash  on  hand $17,707.22 

From  Sheriffs 7,268.23 

Taxes  from  Non-Residents 38,437.75 

Tax  on  Non-Residents'  bank  stock 97.77 

From  salines 10,763.09 

Sale  of  Vandalia  lots 5,659.86 

$79,933.92 
Expenditures  for  same  period : 

Legislative  department $14,966.18 

Executive  department 6,940.06 


434  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Judicial  department 7,932.33 

Prosecuting  attorneys 1,531.08 

Contingents — printing,  etc. 3,976.36 

Ohio  Saline 1,800.00 

Repairs,  etc.,  on  state-house 1,101.57 

Militia 784.00 

Postage,  etc. 234.10 

Boundary  line  expense 78400 

State  bank 2,000.00 

Pike  County 1,500.00 

$47,145.25 
Balance  on  hand     32,788.67 

The  governor's  suggestion  as  to  the  need  and  value  of  educa- 
tion seems  not  to  have  stirred  the  legislators  to  action  along  that 
line.  Nothing  was  done  in  the  matter  of  providing  a  system  of 
education,  but  some  interest  seems  to  have  been  taken  as  to  the 
care  of  the  sixteenth  section  in  each  township,  but  even  this 
legislation  has  the  appearance  of  personal  and  private  profit 
coming  from  the  location  of  the  section.  The  timber  on  the 
school  section  was  to  be  used  by  any  of  the  citizens  of  the  town- 
ship, some  charters  were  granted  for  the  establishing  of  acade- 
mies. One  at  Edwardsville,  one  at  Belleville,  and  one  at  Carlyle. 
These  will  be  considered  later. 

The  suggestion  as  to  the  desirability  of  the  construction  of  a 
canal  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Illinois 
River  was  unfruitful  so  far  as  immediate  work  was  concerned. 
John  Reynolds  who  was  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court,  drew 
a  bill  providing  for  an  examination  of  the  route  over  which  it 
would  be  feasible  to  construct  a  canal  from  Lake  Michigan  to 
the  Illinois  River.  Since  Mr.  Reynolds  had  had  some  experience 
in  the  construction  of  public  utilities,  it  was  thought  his  judg- 
ment as  to  cost,  etc-,  would  be  safe.  He  must  have  made  an 
estimate  of  cost,  at  least  the  Legislature  thought  that  the  venture 
would  be  too  expensive,  the  bill  failed  to  pass. 

The  Black  Code 

Before  the  Legislature  adjourned,  it  enacted  into  law  a  very 
strict  black  code.  This  may  be  said,  that  the  only  use  the  ma- 
jority of  the  members  of  the  Legislature  had  for  a  black  man 
was  as  a  slave  or  an  indentured  servant.  There  were  negroes 
and  mulattoes.  Both  came  under  the  black  code.  Some  were 
in  perpetual  slavery,  some  were  held  under  the  indenture  sys- 
tem, and  some  were  free.  The  laws  of  the  Indiana  Territory 
were  very  harsh  as  to  negroes,  mulattoes,  and  servants.  These 
laws  were  carried  bodily  over  into  and  became  the  laws  of  Illi- 
nois Territory  in  1809  when  the  separation  occurred.   The  laws 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  435 

of  the  black  code  were,  many  of  them,  almost  word  for  word  as 
they  were  under  the  territorial  regime.  The  black  code  has 
twenty-five  sections  and  covers  nearly  all  relations  between  the 
colored  people  and  their  relation  to  the  white  people.  It  will  be 
sufficient  to  give  the  essential  features  of  each  section. 
An  Act  respecting  free  Negroes,  Mulattoes,  Servants,  and  Slaves. 

Approved  March  30,  1819- 

Be  it  enacted,  etc. 

Section  1.  No  free  black  or  mulatto  shall  reside  in  Illinois 
unless  he  shall  file  with  the  clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  a  certificate 
of  his  freedom. 

Section  2.  Free  negroes  and  mulattoes  bringing  families  into 
this  state  must  present  certificate  of  freedom  as  under  section 
1 ;  but  the  overseers  of  the  poor  might  remove  such  families  from 
the  state  if  they  should  be  adjudged  paupers. 

Section  3.  It  was  declared  unlawful  for  any  person  to  bring 
a  slave  into  Illinois  for  the  purpose  of  setting  said  slave  free. 
However,  a  person  might  bring  in  a  slave  and  set  him  free  by 
giving  bond  in  $1,000  for  his  good  behavior  and  that  said  freed 
man  shall  not  become  a  charge  upon  any  county.  The  penalty 
for  violation  of  this  section  was  $200  for  each  offense. 

Section  4.  Each  free  negro  or  mulatto,  residing  in  this  state 
at  the  adoption  of  this  law  shall  register  with  the  circuit  clerk 
the  evidence  of  his  freedom.  Compliance  with  this  section  does 
not  vitiate  any  legal  claim  which  any  white  man  might  have  on 
said  negro  or  mulatto. 

Section  5-  It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person  to  hire  any 
negro  or  mulatto  unless  said  person  has  a  registered  certificate  of 
his  freedom.  The  penalty  was  a  fine  of  $2.50  for  each  day  said 
negro  or  mulatto  shall  work  for  said  employer. 

Section  6.  It  was  illegal  for  any  one  to  harbor  or  secrete  any 
negro  or  mulatto,  the  same  being  a  slave  to  his  knowledge.  The 
penalty  was  the  same  as  that  for  receiving  stolen  goods  know- 
ingly. 

Section  7.  Any  negro  or  mulatto  found  in  the  state  without 
a  certificate  of  his  freedom,  shall  be  held  to  be  a  runaway  slave, 
and  shall  be  held  by  the  sheriff  as  such,  and  if  not  claimed  cer- 
tain time,  may  be  sold  for  one  year  to  the  highest  bidder. 

Section  8.  If  after  a  negro  or  mulatto  has  been  sold  he  shall 
obtain  a  certificate  of  his  freedom,  he  shall  receive  the  hire  for 
his  labor  after  the  necessary  expenses  have  been  paid.  And  if 
any  one  shall  fraudulently  claim  any  such  negro  or  mulatto,  he 
shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  perjury  and  be  punished  accordingly. 

Section  9-  Any  person  who  shall  fraudulently  transport  any 
negro  or  mulatto  out  of  the  state  shall  be  fined  $1,000. 

Section  10.     Servants  shall  be  provided  by  their  masters  with 


436  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

sufficient  and  proper  food,  clothing,  and  lodging,  and  shall,  when 
the  period  of  service  has  expired,  be  provided  with  certain  desig- 
nated clothing,  etc. 

Section  11.  Contracts  for  service  are  declared  transferrable 
with  the  consent  of  the  servant  in  the  presence  of  any  justice 
of  the  peace. 

Section  12.  Any  servant  being  lazy,  disorderly,  or  guilty  of 
misbehavior  shall  be  punished  by  stripes  upon  the  order  of  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  Or  if  refusing  to  work  he  may  be  compelled 
to  serve  double  time.  The  expense  of  returning  to  the  master 
any  absconding  servant  shall  be  borne  by  the  said  servant. 

Section  13.  Masters  are  to  be  held  liable  for  any  injuries 
inflicted  illegally  upon  servants.  The  case  to  be  heard  by  any 
circuit  judge. 

Section  14-  All  contracts  between  master  and  servant  (en- 
tered into)  during  the  time  of  service  are  void. 

Section  15.  The  circuit  courts  may  hear  complaints  of  serv- 
ants who  reside  in  the  court's  jurisdiction.  The  court  may  apply 
such  remedies  as  the  judge  deems  fair  and  proper. 

Section  16.  Servants  legally  and  properly  coming  into  posses- 
sion of  anything  of  value  shall  enjoy  the  possession  of  the  same. 
And  masters  must  not  discharge  sick  or  unprofitable  servants 
to  become  a  charge  upon  the  county. 

Section  17.  No  Indian,  negro,  or  mulatto  shall  hold  a  servant 
of  any  other  color  than  his  own.  And  if  white  persons  are 
bound  as  servants  to  such  persons  said  white  servant  shall  be 
set  free. 

Section  18.  No  person  shall  have  any  pecuniary  transaction 
with  any  servant  or  slave  and  persons  offending  are  fined  four 
times  as  much  as  the  value  of  the  thing  sold  or  traded. 

Section  19.  In  all  violations  of  the  law  punishable  by  fines, 
the  same  offense  committed  by  servants  shall  be  punishable  by 
not  more  than  forty  lashes. 

Section  20.  Each  servant  who  fulfills  the  terms  of  his  service 
shall  be  given  a  certificate  of  freedom  by  the  circuit  court. 

Section  21.  Any  slave  or  servant  found  more  than  ten  miles 
from  his  master's  home  without  authority  from  the  master,  may 
be  arrested  and  punished  by  whipping. 

Section  22.  Slaves  and  servants  found  upon  any  one's  prem- 
ises without  the  order  of  their  masters  were  subject  to  punish- 
ment by  whipping. 

Section  23.  Riots,  routs,  unlawful  assemblies,  trespasses,  and 
seditious  speeches,  by  slaves  or  servants  may  be  adjudged  unlaw- 
ful and  said  slaves  or  servants  may  be  whipped  by  order  of 
the  justice  of  the  peace. 

Section  24.  Persons  permitting  more  than  three  slaves  or 
servants  to  assemble  on  their  premises  for  dancing  or  revelling 
or  other  disorder  may  be  fined  twenty  dollars  and  cost. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


437 


Section  25-  All  officials  who  shall  be  cognizant  of  any  form 
of  disorderly  conduct  enumerated  in  the  previous  section,  shall 
arrest  such  offenders  and  commit  them  to  the  county  jail,  and 
may  cause  the  said  offenders  to  be  punished  by  whipping.  Pro- 
vided, however,  that  persons  of  color  might  with  the  written 
permission  of  their  masters  assemble  for  amusement  on  condi- 
tion that  no  disorderly  conduct  is  indulged  in. 

Moving  the  Capital 

We  have  already  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  con- 
stitution provided  that  the  legislature  at  its  first  session  should 
ask  Congress  for  a  donation  or  grant  of  four  acres  upon  which 


THE    OLD    STATE    CAPITOL,    AT    V  AND  ALIA 


a  new  capital  city  might  be  located.  This  the  Legislature  did. 
The  Congress  on  the  3d  of  March,  1819,  passed  an  act  giving 
Illinois  four  acres  to  be  located  by  commissions  appointed  by 
the  Legislature. 

The  Legislature  selected  five  commissioners  to  locate  the  dona- 
tion of  land,  and  erect-  a  suitable  building  for  the  use  of  the 
various  departments  of  government.  The  terms  provided  that 
the  capital  should  be  situated  on  the  Kaskaskia  and  east  of  the 
3d  principal  meridian.  The  place  selected  was  several  miles 
north  of  any  settlements  located  in  the  central  southern  part 
of  the  state.  The  place  where  the  town  was  to  be  located  was 
called  "Reeve's  Bluff."  It  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Kaskaskia 
River,  and  is  said  to  have  been  in  the  midst  of  virgin  forests. 
"The  plan  of  the  town  is  a  square,  subdivided  in  to  sixty  four 

17V1 


438  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

squares,  and  a  space  of  two  of  these  squares  in  the  middle  is 
intended  for  public  use.  Every  square,  having  eight  building 
lots,  contains  320  square  rods.  Each  building  lot  is  80  feet  wide 
and  152  feet  deep-  Each  square  is  cut  from  south  to  north  by 
a  sixteen  foot  alley;  and  the  large  regular  and  straight  streets, 
eighty  feet  wide,  intersect  each  other  at  right  angles."  Lots 
were  sold  at  public  auction.  Mr.  Ferdinand  Ernest,  a  German, 
who  was  traveling  in  Illinois  late  in  the  year  1819,  was  the  first 
man  to  begin  a  house  in  the  new  city.  In  his  diary  dated  Sep- 
tember 10,  1819,  he  says :  "Only  four  weeks  ago  the  commis- 
sioners advertised  the  sale  of  lots  (it  will  take  place  tomorrow) 
and  there  is  already  considerable  activity  manifested.  Charles 
Reavis  and  I  were  the  first  who  began  to  build."  From  this  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  people  began  to  build  before  the  sale  of  lots 
was  held.  Mr.  Ernest  further  says:  "When  the  lots  in  Van- 
dalia  were  sold,  I  purchased  four  of  them  and  after  I  had  made 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  completion  of  my  house,  I 
set  about  preparing  for  my  return  to  Europe."  Lots  sold  all 
the  way  from  $100  to  $780. 

The  commissioners  who  located  the  new  capital  were  also  au- 
thorized to  erect  a  building  in  which  the  new  government  might 
be  housed.  The  building  was  a  two  story  frame  structure.  This 
burned  in  1823,  and  another  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$15,000-  This  building  was  replaced  in  1836  by  the  building 
which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Fayette  County  Courthouse.  When 
the  transfer  of  the  seat  of  government  was  made  in  1820,  Decem- 
ber, the  archives  which  were  in  the  custody  of  Elias  Kent  Kane 
as  secretary  of  state,  were  turned  over  to  a  young  law  student 
by  the  name  of  Sidney  Breese  for  transfer.  Mr.  Breese  suc- 
cessfully transported  the  books  and  records  to  the  new  seat  of 
government  in  a  farm  wagon.  The  road  for  the  wagon  had  to 
be  opened  up  a  portion  of  the  way,  but  Mr.  Breese  delivered 
his  cargo  and  received  for  his  services  the  sum  of  twenty-five 
dollars.  "Reeves  Bluff"  was  an  ideal  place  for  a  city.  It  lies 
immediately  west  of  the  Kaskaskia  and  not  more  than  a  few 
rods  from  that  stream.  The  place  occupied  by  the  old  capitol 
building  is  high  and  the  land  slopes  away  in  all  directions. 

It  is  said  that  the  commissioners  were  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
to  call  the  new  town.  Several  names  were  suggested,  when  a 
wag  standing  near  said  that  there  once,  lived  on  the  Kaskaskia 
in  the  region  of  the  new  city  a  powerful  tribe  of  red  men  known 
as  the  Vandals.  The  race  was  gone  but  their  memory  should 
be  perpetuated  by  giving  their  name  to  the  new  capital.  He 
therefore  suggested  that  the  new  town  be  called  "Vandalia." 
The  commissioners  were  delighted  with  the  suggestion,  and  they 
unanimously  adopted  the  name  Vandalia  for  the  new  capital. 

The  second  session  of  the  Legislature  met  in  the  new  capital 
the  first  Monday  in  December,  1820.    The  state  had  made  rapid 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  439 

strides  in  the  two  years  since  admission  into  the  Union.  The 
census  as  taken  by  the  Federal  government  in  1820  showed  a 
population  of  55,120.  Four  new  counties  had  been  organized — 
Alexander,  Clark,  Jefferson,  and  Wayne  making  now  nineteen 
counties  in  the  state. 

The  governor  called  the  attention  of  the  Legislature  to  some 
needed  legislation.  First,  he  wished  to  give  attention  to  the  im- 
provement of  the  capital  city.  He  suggested  the  erection  of  sub- 
stantial public  buildings,  among  which  should  be  a  "seminary  of 
learning."  He  argued  that  there  ought  to  be  an  institution  of 
learning  at  the  state's  capital,  "because  by  an  occasional  visit 
at  the  houses  of  the  general  assembly,  and  the  courts  of  justice, 
the  student  will  find  the  best  specimens  of  oratory  the  state  can 
produce;  imbibe  the  principles  of  legal  science,  and  political 
knowledge,  and  by  an  intercourse  with  good  society  his  habits 
of  life  would  be  chastened,  and  his  manners  improved."  He 
showed  that  the  territorial  debt  had  been  paid  and  that  the  state's 
finances  were  in  a  healthy  condition.  His  message  closed  with 
a  prayer :  "May  the  Almighty  God,  to  whose  kind  providence  we 
are  indebted  for  the  safe  and  tranquil  condition  of  our  common 
country,  and  the  plentiful  harvest  of  the  year,  teach  us  to  dis- 
trust ourselves,  and  to  rely  firmlv  upon  Him,  that  we  may  live 
to  His  glory,  and  die  in  His  love." 

Money  and  Banks 

Illinois  began  her  political  life  in  the  midst  of  great  national 
prosperity.  The  close  of  the  War  of  1812  brought  about  a  new 
era  in  the  life  of  the  American  people-  The  sea  was  once  more 
free  to  American  shipping;  trade  relations  with  the  nations  of 
the  earth  greatly  multiplied ;  the  Indians,  who  in  all  the  past 
had  been  more  or  less  an  ever-present  danger,  are  hence-forth 
to  be  considered  as  no  longer  an  obstacle  to  the  westward  move- 
ment of  the  pioneer  line ;  politics  the  great  disturber  in  state 
and  national  life  was  at  its  lowest  ebb;  the  financial  world  was 
never  more  healthy;  and  the  people  everywhere  were  taking  on 
new  life  and  undertaking  more  difficult  problems.  The  United 
States  Bank  which  Alexander  Hamilton  had  championed  in  1791 
had  run  a  successful  course  of  twenty  years.  Its  charter  expired 
in  1811  and  its  renewal  was  defeated  by  the  vote  of  Henry  Clay 
as  speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  The  War  of  1812-15 
was  fought  on  state  bank  money,  treasury  certificates,  and  a 
slight  amount  of  gold  and  silver.  By  1816  the  country  was  ready 
to  welcome  a  bank  whose  bills  were  exchangeable  for  gold  and 
silver.  Early  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  1816,  the  Congress 
passed  a  bill  which  created  a  bank  to  be  known  as  a  United 
States  bank.  Its  capital  was  $35,000,000  of  which  the  govern- 
ment was  to  furnish  one-fifth.  This  bank  was  to  be  a  bank  of 
issue  and  its  bills  were  seldom  if  ever  below  par. 


440  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Between  1811,  when  the  charter  of  the  first  bank  expired, 
and  1816,  when  the  second  United  States  bank  was  authorized, 
there  were  hundreds  of  banks  chartered  by  the  legislatures  of 
the  several  states.  These  were  also  banks  of  issue  and  the 
country  was  flooded  with  paper  money,  the  issue  of  these  state 
banks.  In  most  cases  the  bank's  capital  was  merely  on  paper 
and  most  of  the  banks  were  unable  to  redeem  their  issue-  In 
1816  when  the  second  United  States  bank  opened  its  doors  for 
business  and  began  to  pay  out  the  bright  crisp  bills,  the  state 
bank  bills  went  into  hiding.  This  condition  obtained  only  where 
the  United  States  Bank  and  its  branches  were  located.  There 
were  none  of  its  branches  in  the  new  west  and  the  state  bank 
bills  had  no  competition  in  this  part  of  the  country.  However 
some  of  the  money  issued  by  the  United  States  bank  found  its 
way  into  the  states  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 


BANK  OP  CAIRO   BILL 

By  1818-1820  there  were  three  general  kinds  of  money: 

Gold  and  silver  coin  which  was  very  scarce  as  there  were  no 
mines  of  these  metals  yet  in  operation  in  this  country  and  the 
only  material  the  mints  had  to  work  on  was  the  gold  and  silver 
articles  which  had  been  brought  to  this  country  from  the  old 
world  or  South  America.  There  was,  however,  in  circulation 
quite  a  bit  of  gold  and  silver  coins,  the  issue  of  Spain  and  France 
and  England. 

Then  there  was  a  limited  amount  of  the  issue  of  the  United 
States  bank.  This  was  brought  over  by  the  settlers  who  came 
from  the  states  east  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 

Lastly,  there  was  the  issue  of  the  state  banks  or  of  private 
banks  which  sometimes  issued  paper  bills.  The  state  bank  bills 
were  often  from  the  banks  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky  and  Mis- 
souri. Many  of  these  bank  bills  were  exchangeable  for  gold  and 
silver  as  the  bank  which  issued  them  stood  ready  at  all  times 
to  redeem  their  issue.  Estimated  in  face  value,  the  money 
issued  by  the  state  banks  were  greatly  in  excess  of  all  other 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


441 


kinds,  perhaps  there  was  about  the  same  amount  in  United  States 
bank  bills  and  in  gold  and  silver. 

We  are  particularly  interested  in  the  effort  of  Illinois  to  hold 
her  own  with  the  adjoining  states  in  the  matter  of  providing 
her  citizens  with  a  circulating  medium-  As  early  at  1816  the 
Territorial  Legislature  issued  charters  to  banks,  or  rather  passed 
a  law  permitting  banks  to  be  organized  in  Edwardsville,  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  Shawneetown.  This  law  provided  that  one-tenth  of 
the  capital  stock  should  be  paid  in.  This  would  produce  a  small 
redemption  fund,  but  not  nearly  enough  to  redeem  a  small  part 
of  the  issue.     The  banks  at  Edwardsville  and  at  Shawneetown 


THE    CAIRO   BANK   AT   KASKASKIA 
The  wooden  building  is  the  bank  and  the  brick  building  is  the  land   office 


were  doing  business  when  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union. 
It  has  been  said  of  the  Shawneetown  bank  that  it  always  was 
ready  to  redeem  its  issue  but  not  so  the  bank  at  Edwardsville. 

Land  offices  were  established  at  Kaskaskia,  and  Vincennes  in 
1804.  One  was  located  in  Shawneetown  in  1812,  and  one  in 
Edwardsville  in  1816.  The  public  lands  were  placed  on  sale  at 
Shawneetown  and  Kaskaskia  in  1814.  But  the  money  received 
for  the  sale  of  the  government  land  had  to  be  deposited  in  the 
Bank  of  Missouri,  and  it  is  said  that  at  one  time  the  Bank  of 
Missouri  held  as  much  as  $600,000  of  government  money.    The 


442  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

secretary  of  the  treasury,  Mr.  William  H.  Crawford,  made  the 
banks  at  Edwardsville  and  at  Shawneetown  banks  of  deposit 
for  the  money  received  from  the  sale  of  public  lands.  It  often 
happened  that  much  of  the  money  received  by  the  receiver  at  the 
land  office  and  deposited  in  the  bank  designated  by  the  govern- 
ment would  turn  out  to  be  worthless-  The  Edwardsville  bank 
did  not  succeed  in  satisfying  the  government  nearly  so  well 
as  the  bank  at  Shawneetown.  The  bank  at  Edwardsville  failed 
in  1821  and  the  government  lost  more  than  fifty  thousand  dollars 
of  land  office  money  or  other  money  belonging  to  the  government. 
The  Shawneetown  bank,  otherwise  known  as  the  Bank  of  Illi- 
nois, had  been  able  to  redeem  its  issue  when  called  on,  and 
made  regular  payments  to  the  government  of  the  land  office 
money  or  of  other  money  which  the  bank  may  have  had  on 
deposit  belonging  to  the  government. 

It  seemed  that  the  year  1820  was  hard  on  banks.  Those  with 
insecure  foundations  were  unable  to  withstand  the  storm  and 
there  were  many  failures.  The  suspension  of  specie  payment 
is  always  the  sign  of  weakening,  and  when  the  Illinois  banks 
suspended  in  1820  it  was  taken  as  the  sign  that  they  would  be 
obliged  to  surrender  their  charters.  The  Illinois  bank  at  Shaw- 
neetown was  able  to  weather  the  gale  and  was  considered  one 
of  the  best  financial  institutions  in  the  west. 

"By  1820,  the  banks  of  neighboring  states  were  broken,  and 
those  of  Illinois  suspended ;  specie  had  fled  the  country  and 
immigrants  came  as  moneyless  as  were  those  who  looked  for- 
ward to  their  well  filled  purses ;  paper  towns  failed  to  grow  into 
flourishing  villages;  trade  flagged;  there  was  no  commerce  to 
bring  money  into  the  country ;  real  estate  was  unsalable  while 
contracts  wildly  entered  into;  matured.  As  the  folly  of  the 
people  became  apparent,  ruin  stared  them  in  the  face.  Enormous 
sacrifices  of  prosperity  under  prospective  executions  must  ensue, 
unless  some  scheme  for  relief  could  be  devised.  In  August,  1820, 
a  new  legislature  would  be  elected.  The  genius  of  this  body 
(when  it  convened)  would  be  invoked  on  behalf  of  the  embar- 
rassed people.  At  its  session  in  1820-21,  it  willingly  addressed 
itself  to  this  work  (of  the  relief  of  the  people),  and  evolved 
the  'Illinois  State  Bank'  with  a  capital  of  half  a  million  of 
dollars,  based  entirely  upon  the  credit  of  the  state." 

The  second  general  assembly  met  in  Vandalia  in  the  new  capi- 
tol  building.  It  felt  like  erasing  the  past  and  beginning  anew. 
The  real  desire  of  the  lawmakers  was  to  find  relief  for  the 
people.  The  people  could  forget  the  past  if  only  there  were 
better  times  ahead  of  them.  And  so  the  Legislature  struck 
upon  a  scheme  of  bringing  prosperity  to  the  people. 

A  bill  was  brought  in  which  created  the  Illinois  State  Bank 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000.  There  was  no  capital  as  we 
use  that  word.    The  capital  stock  was  not  to  be  sold.     No  one 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  443 

owned  a  dollars  worth  of  stock  in  this  bank.  Certain  individ- 
uals were  authorized  to  pilot  this  bank  through  the  financial 
breakers  and  rapids  of  the  next  ten  years.  There  was  to  be  a 
sort  of  mother  bank  which  was  to  be  located  at  Vandalia  and 
there  were  four  branch  banks  situated  at  Edwardsville,  Madi- 
son County;  Brownsville,  Jackson  County;  Shawneetown,  Galla- 
tin County,  and  at  the  county  seat  of  Edwards  County  when  the 
seat  of  justice  should  be  permanently  located.  The  management 
of  the  bank  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  board  of  directors  to 
be  chosen  by  the  Legislature,  one  member  from  each  county. 
There  were  twenty-six  counties  in  the  state  by  the  end  of  Febru- 
ary, 1821,  seven  counties  having  been  created  in  the  months  of 
January  and  February,  1821.  There  would  thus  be  twenty-six 
members  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Illinois  State  Bank. 
Directors  and  officers  were  to  be  elected  by  the  joint  action  of 
the  Legislature. 

As  stated,  there  was  no  capital  as  we  think  of  capital.  The 
bill  provided  that  the  bank  could  issue  $500,000  in  paper  money 
and  the  state  and  all  its  resources  were  pledged  to  the  redemp- 
tion of  this  issue.  The  bills  were  to  be  issued  in  one,  two,  three, 
five,  ten,  and  twenty-dollar  amounts.  Those  bills  drew  interest 
at  the  rate  of  6  per  cent  per  annum,  and  when  issued  from 
the  bank,  the  name  of  the  one  to  whom  the  bills  were  issued  was 
indorsed  on  the  face  of  the  bill  and  also  the  date  of  the  issue. 
It  is  a  queer  notion  that  a  bank  should  pay  interest  to  the  one 
who  borrows  money  from  it. 

No  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  could  be  loaned  to  any  per- 
son on  personal  security.  Amounts  more  than  one  hundred  dol- 
lars must  be  secured  by  real  estate,  and  in  no  case  should  more 
than  $1,000  be  loaned  to  one  person. 

The  notes  of  the  Illinois  State  Bank  "were  made  receivable 
in  payment  of  all  state  and  county  taxes,  costs  and  fees,  and  the 
salaries  of  the  public  officers  were  payable  in  them."  These 
bills  were  also  made  a  sort  of  legal  tender  in  the  payment  of 
debts,  for  when  Mr.  A.  secured  a  judgment  against  Mr.  B., 
unless  Mr.  A.  endorsed  across  the  judgment  "The  bills  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Illinois,  or  either  of  its  branches,  will  be  received 
in  discharge  of  this  execution,"  the  defendant,  Mr.  B.,  could 
secure  a  three-years'  stay  of  payment.  This  virtually  forced 
the  creditor  to  accept  the  bills  as  legal  tender  for  their  full  face 
value. 

When  this  bill  came  up  for  consideration  there  was  bitter 
opposition  to  it.  In  the  Lower  House,  the  speaker,  John  McLean 
of  Shawneetown,  was  strenuously  opposed  to  the  bill.  The  rules 
of  the  Lower  House  provided  that  the  speaker  could  not  speak 
upon  any  measure  before  the  House  except  when  the  House  was 
in  committee  of  the  whole.  The  House  was  favorable  to  the 
bill  and  did  not  want  to  hear  Mr.  McLean's  logic  against  the 


444  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

bill,  so  they  refused  to  go  into  committee  of  the  whole,  where- 
upon Mr.  McLean  resigned  as  speaker  and  took  his  seat  on  the 
floor  of  the  House  and  did  his  utmost  to  prevent  the  passage 
of  the  bill.  Joseph  Kitchell  then  a  member  of  the  Upper  House 
introduced  a  resolution  "denouncing  the  establishment  of  a  bank 
without  specie  capital  with  which  to  redeem  its  paper  on 
demand." 

The  objection  to  the  measure  from  the  standpoint  of  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  may  be  briefly  stated.  Article 
one  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  section  ten,  clause 
one,  in  enumerating  the  powers  denied  to  the  states,  says :  "No 
state  shall  emit  bills  of  credit,  or  make  any  thing  but  gold  and 
silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts."  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary struggle  the  Continental  Congress  had  issued  large  quan- 
tities of  bills  of  credit.  The  several  states  also  had  issued  paper 
money,  which  were  bills  of  credit,  in  large  amounts.  Much 
confusion  had  resulted  in  these  state  bills  of  credit  as  they  passed 
at  different  rates  of  discount  in  different  states,  and  at  different 
times.  The  framers  of  our  constitution  saw  that  there  could 
never  be  any  degree  of  uniformity  in  the  medium  of  exchange 
if  each  state  were  allowed  to  control  the  issue  of  bills  of  credit. 
And  hence  the  denial  in  the  constitution  to  the  states  of  the 
power  to  set  up  any  standard  of  value  for  either  paper  money  or 
for  coins  other  than  that  fixed  by  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 

But  these  arguments  by  men  who  foresaw  the  inextricable 
confusion  that  would  come  from  the  adoption  of  this  banking 
system,  fell  on  deaf  ears,  and  on  unwise  judgments.  Ford  in 
the  history  of  Illinois  says :  "So  infatuated  were  this  Legisla- 
ture with  the  absurd  bank  project,  that  the  members  firmly 
believed  that  the  notes  of  this  bank  would  remain  at  par  with 
gold  and  silver."  As  an  indication  of  their  faith  in  the  stability 
of  this  banking  system  a  resolution  was  passed  requesting  the 
secretary  of  the  United  States  Treasury  to  accept  the  notes  of 
the  State  Bank  of  Illinois  in  payment  for  the  public  lands  sold 
in  this  state.  When  this  resolution  came  before  the  Senate, 
there  was  a  feeling  that  it  was  just  a  little  presuming  to  ask 
the  secretary  to  accept  bills  which  the  wise  one  saw  would  fall 
to  50  per  cent  within  a  short  time  after  their  issue.  An  amus- 
ing story  is  told  of  the  presiding  officer  in  the  Senate,  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor Pierre  Menard,  when  the  resolution  was  before 
that  body.  After  a  full  and  free  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the 
resolution  the  time  arrived  for  the  vote.  When  the  presiding 
officer  put  the  question  he  said:  "Gentlemen  of  de  Senate,  it 
is  moved  and  seconded  dat  de  notes  of  dis  bank  be  made  land  office 
money.  All  in  favor  of  dat  motion,  say  aye ;  all  against  it  say  no. 
It  is  decided  in  de  affirmative.  And  now,  gentlemen,  I  bet  you  one 
hundred  dollar  he  never  be  made  land  office  money." 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  445 

The  law  provided  that  only  $300,000  of  the  half  million  capi- 
tal should  be  issued  in  bank  notes,  without  authority  of  the  Leg- 
islature. The  law  further  authorized  the  division  of  the  §300,000 
issue  among  the  parent  bank  and  the  four  branch  banks  as 
follows : 

The  Vandalia  Bank  the  sum  of $  35,699.11^ 

The  Edwardsville  branch  the  sum  of     83,516.86% 
The  Brownsville  branch  the  sum  of_     48,834.00 
The  Shawneetown  branch  the  sum  of     84,685.00 
The  Edwards  Co.  branch  the  sum  of     47,265.02 


Total §300,000.00 

The  bill  as  passed  by  the  two  Houses  of  the  Legislature  went 
to  the  governor  who  placed  it  before  the  Council  of  Revision.  It 
may  be  remembered  that  the  Constitution  of  1818  did  not  give  the 
governor  the  veto  power,  but  placed  that  duty  in  the  hands  of  the 
Supreme  Court  (four  members)  and  the  governor.  These  five 
men,  in  terms  of  the  constitution,  were  called  the  Council  of 
Revision.  Here  the  bill  was  carefully  considered.  When  it 
came  to  the  final  vote  the  council  stood  three  against  the  bill 
and  two  for  the  bill.  The  governor  and  Judges  Phillips  and 
Reynolds  were  opposed  to  the  bill's  becoming  a  law ;  while  Judges 
Wilson  and  Browne  were  for  the  bill's  becoming  a  law.  The 
bill  was  therefore  returned  to  the  House  in  which  it  originated, 
vetoed.  The  constitution  provided  that  when  a  bill  was  vetoed 
by  the  Council  of  Revision,  if  it  should  be  passed  by  each  House 
by  a  majority  of  the  members  elected  it  should  become  a  law. 
It  was  easy  therefore  to  pass  the  bill  for  the  bank  over  the  veto. 

When  the  bank  was  open  for  business  there  was  a  rush  for 
accommodations.  Every  person  who  wanted  more  than  §100 
and  less  than  $1,000  and  had  a  small  piece  of  unincumbered  land, 
borrowed  to  meet  his  supposed  needs  and  mortgaged  his  land 
for  the  payment  of  the  debt.  If  one  wished  less  than  $100  and 
could  get  a  neighbor  to  go  his  security,  he  borrowed  it  at  the 
bank.  It  is  said  that  it  was  not  long  before  the  entire  issue  of 
$300,000  provided  by  law  was  out  in  circulation.  Reynolds 
says  that  these  bank  bills  never  did  circulate  at  par  and  that  they 
sunk  as  low  as  25  cents  on  the  dollar. 

The  auditor  reported  to  the  Legislature  in  1823  that  the  bank's 
bills  were  circulating  at  50  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  complained 
it  was  a  hardship  to  pay  state  officials  in  money  worth  only  50 
cents  on  the  dollar.  He  suggested  that  the  law  which  required 
the  bank  to  retire  one-tenth  of  its  issue  each  year  be  enforced 
and  thus  the  bank  would  be  out  of  the  woods  at  the  end  of 
ten  years.  The  only  relief  that  came  at  this  time  was  an  act 
to  increase  the  salaries  of  the  state  officials  50  per  cent.  In 
other  words  pay  them  75  cents  while  they  should  be  paid  $1. 

As  time  went  on  the  condition  got  worse,  and  in  1825  there 


446  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

were  additional  laws  passed  requiring  the  cashiers  to  redeem 
and  destroy  at  least  10  per  cent  of  the  issue  each  year — or  if 
any  bills  were  loaned  the  second  time,  they  should  be  stamped 
showing  that  they  drew  no  interest.  The  banks  therefore  had 
little  to  do  except  to  act  as  collection  agencies,  gathering  in 
the  money  which  had  been  formerly  loaned. 

The  state's  annual  income  was  gathered  through  the  various 
forms  of  taxation — on  lands  belonging  to  non-residents;  bank 
stock  held  by  non-residents,  and  the  income  from  the  salines. 
Governor  Edwards  in  his  campaign  for  the  governorship  in  the 
summer  of  1826  stated  that  $25,000  would  cover  the  annual 
expenses  of  the  state  government.  He  showed  that  the  taxes  on 
non-resident  land  holders  should  produce  at  least  $40,000  per 
year,  thus  leaving  815,000  in  the  treasury  annually.  But  by 
some  form  of  kindness  to  these  non-resident  land  owners,  they 
were  required  to  pay  their  taxes  only  biennially.  And  even  then 
the  state  was  lenient  if  they  failed  to  pay.  There  was  therefore 
little  money  in  the  state  treasury  and  it  became  necessary  to 
issue  state  warrants  to  meet  the  state's  obligations  which  were 
held  or  exchanged  as  money.  What  money  was  in  the  treasury 
came  in  as  good  money,  but  since  in  general  circulation  it  was 
worth  only  one-third  of  its  value,  the  state  passed  a  law  that 
state  officials  should  be  paid  three  dollars  in  current  funds  or 
in  warrants  for  each  dollar  the  state  owed  them.  In  1825  the 
state's  annual  expense  if  it  had  been  paid  in  good  money  would 
have  been  §35,000.  The  state,  to  pay  these  expenses  issued  to 
the  state's  creditors  §107,000  in  auditor's  warrants.  Thus  the 
state  was  piling  up  a  big  debt  which  the  future  must  pay. 

The  banks  had  run  their  course  by  1826.  The  full  amount  of 
$300,000  had  been  issued  and  handed  out  to  the  people  for  notes 
with  personal  and  real  estate  security.  Thousands  of  dollars 
were  never  repaid.  Ford  says:  "More  than  half  of  those  who 
had  borrowed,  considered  what  they  had  gotten  from  it  as  so 
much  clear  gain,  and  never  intended  to  pay  it  from  the  first." 
In  many  instances  where  money  was  loaned  on  mortgages  the 
amount  loaned  was  not  only  often  greatly  in  excess  of  $1,000, 
but  when  the  mortgages  were  foreclosed  the  real  estate  would 
bring  only  a  half  or  a  third  of  the  debt.  It  was  found  that  in 
various  ways  the  bank  lacked  $100,000  of  having  enough  money 
in  1831  when  the  bank  charter  expired  of  meeting  all  its  obliga- 
tions. This  amount  of  money  the  state  borrowed  from  a  Mr. 
Wiggins  of  Cincinnati,  paid  off  all  the  debts  of  the  bank  and 
quit  the  banking  business — at  least  for  five  or  six  years. 

The  state  itself  was  in  debt  some  $300,000,  so  Mr.  Ford  thinks, 
but  by  a  system  of  financial  sleight  of  hand,  the  state  was  kept 
out  of  bankruptcy. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  447 

The  People  in  1818 

Illinois  was  indeed  a  pioneer  state  when  it  was  admitted  to 
the  Union  in  1818.  The  manner  of  life  was  simple  to  the  point 
of  crudeness.  The  physical  things  with  which  they  worked  were 
all  of  the  pioneer  type.  Wagons  were  generally  home  made. 
What  is  made  by  the  man  who  used  it  or  at  least  by  a  neigh- 
bor who  in  no  sense  was  a  manufacturer.  There  were  few 
wholly  iron  plows;  there  were  those  with  iron  points  and  bars, 
the  rest  being  wood — the  mold-board;  then  there  were  wooden 
plows  except  a  point  of  iron  which  protected  the  union  of  the 
shear  and  the  bar.  Looms  were  home-made  as  were  also  the 
spinning  wheels — whether  for  flax  or  wool. 

There  were  no  stoves  in  those  days.  But  the  Dutch  oven  and 
the  crane  were  the  essential  equipment  for  preparing  a  meal. 
To  the  crane  were  swung  the  kettles  in  which  the  vegetables  and 
meats  were  boiled.  The  Kentuckians  baked  a  delicious  pone  on 
a  clean  board  held  in  place  before  a  hot  fire.  Often  certain 
vegetables  were  cooked  in  the  hot  coals  and  ashes.  These  early 
people  really  served  roasting-ears  upon  the  table — we  serve 
boiled  ears  upon  our  tables  and  call  them  roasting-ears.  The 
young  ears  of  Indian  corn  were  turned  before  the  fire  till  the 
milky  grains  were  thoroughly  cooked  when  they  were  served 
hot,  brown,  and  well  seasoned.  The  meals  were  provided  from 
the  products  of  the  farm,  the  game  from  the  chase  or  the  traps 
or  the  fish  from  the  streams,  wild  honey  and  wild  fruits  were 
not  infrequently  a  portion  of  the  bountiful  supply.  The  maple 
trees  furnished  maple  sugar  as  well  as  a  delicately  flavored 
syrup. 

The  clothing  continued  to  be  "home-made"  wool,  flax,  hemp 
and  the  skins  furnished  the  basis  of  the  wearing  apparel.  The 
wool  must  be  washed,  picked,  and  carded.  Judge  Jesse  B. 
Thomas  erected  a  carding  mill  at  Cahokia  about  the  time  the  ter- 
ritory was  admitted  into  the  Union.  But  one  carding  mill  could 
not  make  rolls  for  all  the  country,  so  the  old  hand  system  of  mak- 
ing rolls  prevailed  even  as  late  as  the  Civil  war.  Weaving  was 
one  of  the  fine  arts.  Clothing  was  woven  wholly  of  wool  or 
partly  of  wool  and  partly  of  cotton.  Blankets  were  woven  from 
the  poorer  qualities  of  wool.  Beautiful  woolen  counterpanes 
were  often  woven  in  colors  of  beautiful  design.  Similar  coun- 
terpanes were  often  woven  of  cotton.  In  the  more  costly  coun- 
terpanes the  dyes  were  often  imported,  while  in  the  cheaper 
ones  the  housewife  made  up  her  own  dyes.  A  few  of  these 
old  counterpanes  may  be  seen  here  and  there  in  the  old  homes 
or  where  the  housewife  is  preserving  one  of  these  as  an  heir- 
loom because  "my  great  great-grandmother  wove  it."  Cotton 
was  carried  through  pretty  much  the  same  process  as  wool.  It 
was  the  material  for  the  summer  wear.  Much  cotton  was  raised 
in  the  south  third  of  the  state  up  to  the  time  of  the  Civil  war. 


448  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Few  native  Illinoisans  ever  saw  flax  raised  and  made  into  cloth. 
But  from  the  coming  of  the  Americans  into  Illinois  up  to  the 
days  of  the  Civil  war  the  raising  of  flax  was  a  common  industry 
among  the  farmers.  Many  of  us  have  seen  the  beautiful  little 
flax  wheels  in  the  homes  of  our  people.  Hemp  is  a  fiber  plant 
flourishing  in  tropical  countries.  It  grows  to  the  height  of  six 
or  eight  feet.  Its  stem  is  as  large  as  the  smaller  corn  stalks, 
and  runs  the  entire  height  of  the  plant.  It  has  branches  along 
the  upper  parts  of  the  stem.  The  inner  part  must  be  rotted  and 
broken  into  smaller  bits  leaving  the  fiber  or  bark,  unharmed. 
This  outer  fiber  is  dressed  by  beating  and  rubbing  until  all  the 
pith  is  separated  from  it.  It  is  then  soft  and  fluffy.  It  was 
spun  into  coarse  threads  and  woven  into  cloth  suitable  for  bag- 
ging, canvas  cloth,  or  coarse  clothing.  But  its  principal  use  was 
probably  for  the  manufacture  of  ropes.  Rope-walks  were  no 
unusual  sight  about  the  villages  or  frequently  about  a  farm.  It 
was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  men  with  clothing  made  from 
the  skins  of  animals,  but  there  were  many  instances  in  which 
caps,  gloves,  and  moccasins  were  made  in  the  home  from  the 
skins  of  fur-bearing  animals. 

In  the  early  year  of  statehood,  the  prevailing  home  was  built 
of  logs.  But  there  were  well  built  frame  houses,  and  even  sub- 
stantial brick  buildings  were  used  as  residences,  stores,  and 
churches.  The  use  of  the  log  house  as  a  home  has  not  altogether 
passed  away.  In  many  of  the  timbered  counties  you  will  prob- 
ably still  find  the  log  house  used  as  a  residence.  Dr.  Edwin  Erie 
Sparks  in  his  charming  volume  "The  Expansion  of  the  Ameri- 
can People,"  describes  in  one  chapter  the  pioneer  life  of  the 
Ohio  Valley.  In  discussing  the  home  life,  he  says  a  log  home 
could  be  built  for  $150  and  a  double  log  home  for  $250. 

"In  letters  from  Illinois,"  by  Morris  Birkbeck,  published  in 
Philadelphia  in  1818,  we  find  a  very  clear  description  of  the  cost 
of  building  a  log  home.  In  Letter  No.  VIII  we  find  this  descrip- 
tion of  a  log  house  which  Mr.  Birkbeck  had  erected  as  a  tem- 
porary home  till  he  could  build  his  permanent  residence.  "Hav- 
ing fixed  on  the  northwestern  portion  of  our  prairie  for  our 
future  residence  and  farm,  the  first  act  was  building  a  cabin 
about  200  yards  from  the  spot  where  the  house  is  to  stand. 
This  cabin  is  built  of  round  straight  logs,  about  a  foot  in  dia- 
meter, lying  upon  each  other,  and  notched  at  the  corners,  form- 
ing a  room  18  by  16  feet  long;  the  intervals  between  the  logs 
'chuncked,'  that  is,  filled  in  with  slips  of  wood;  and  'mudded,' 
that  is  daubed  with  a  plaster  of  mud ;  a  spacious  chimney  built 
of  logs,  stands  like  a  bastion  at  one  end;  the  roof  is  well  cov- 
ered with  four  hundred  'clap  boards'  of  cleft  oak,  very  much 
like  the  pales  used  in  England  for  fencing  parks.  A  hole  is 
cut  through  the  side,  called,  very  properly,  the  'door'  (the 
through)  for  which  there  is  a  shutter,  made  also  of  cleft  oak. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  449 

and  hung  on  wooden  hinges.  All  this  has  been  executed  by  con- 
tract, and  well  executed  for  $20.  I  have  since  added  $10  to  the 
cost,  for  the  luxury  of  a  floor  and  ceiling  of  sawn  boards,  and 
it  is  now  a  comfortable  habitation." 

Doctor  Sparks  was  thinking  of  paying  for  labor  at  the  union 
scale  probably.  Many  of  the  log  houses  in  which  our  pioneer 
forefathers  reared  large  families  were  built  with  the  outlay 
of  but  a  few  dollars.  The  only  articles  which  must  be  bought 
were  glass  for  windows  and  a  few  nails.  Chimneys  were  built 
of  wood,  rocks,  and  clay.  The  floor  was  often  the  smoothed 
flat  sides  of  split  logs,  called  puncheons ;  the  door  was  not  infre- 
quently made  of  well  riven  clap-boards;  the  roof  was  laid  of 
clap-boards  held  in  place,  not  nailed,  by  long  poles  secured  with 
wooden  pins.  The  fire  place  and  the  hearth  were  built  of  flat 
stones  which  were  procured  from  nearby  streams  or  bluffs. 
Doctor  Sparks  called  attention  to  a  necessary  adjunct  of  every 
well  regulated  home — that  was  the  "smoke  house."  This  was 
a  small  low  building  near  the  kitchen  door,  if  there  were  a  kit- 
chen, in  which  the  supplies  were  usually  kept.  In  the  winter 
the  farmer  "butchered  his  hogs,"  and  salted  away  the  shoulders, 
hams  and  sides.  In  the  spring  these  parts  were  taken  out  of 
the  dry  salt  and  hung  up  to  cross-pieces,  care  being  taken  that 
the  several  pieces  did  not  touch  one  another.  A  fire  was  then  built 
in  the  center  of  the  floor  and  the  smoke  arose  like  incense  to 
preserve  the  meat.  Many  days  the  smoldering  fire  would  be 
kept  going,  and  the  smoke  would  continually  escape  from  the 
roof  of  the  small  building  and  hence  "smoke  house." 

It  could  not  be  said  that  the  people  were  all  industrious,  but 
they  were  a  hard  working  class.  The  man  who  cleared  the  tim- 
ber from  his  land,  broke  up  the  soil,  and  planted  and  tended  his 
crops  was  a  hard  working  man.  He  was  also  industrious.  He 
was  tired  at  the  end  of  each  day's  work.  The  man  who  spent 
his  day  locating  bee  trees,  or  fishing  all  day,  or  hunting,  or  loaf- 
ing about  the  village  had  worked  hard,  but  he  was  not  industri- 
ous. Many  were  not  thrifty.  There  was  no  effort  in  the  summer 
and  fall  to  prepare  suitable  shelter  for  horses,  cattle,  hogs  and 
chickens  when  the  storms  of  winter  should  come.  In  those  sec- 
tions where  the  settlers  had  come  from  the  northern  states  the 
above  statement  probably  would  have  to  be  modified.  The  Yan- 
kees were  not  only  industrious  but  thrifty.  They  built  good 
stables  or  barns  for  their  stock  and  made  provision  in  the  fall 
for  the  winter  by  gathering  in  fuel  and  forage.  They  were  accus- 
tomed to  sit  by  their  winter  fires  and  give  some  attention  to  good 
books  and  conversations. 

The  people  were  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  temperate  in 
their  habits.  They  were  accustomed  to  drink  certain  kinds  of 
intoxicating  liquors,  but  there  were  few  drunkards.  Their  con- 
versations were  coarse  but  not  unchaste.     Men  were  given  to 


450  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

swearing  but  the  law  forbade  it  and  the  penalties  were  severe. 
Gambling  was  not  of  the  kind  we  have  known  about  the  saloons 
and  joints  of  our  cities.  The  common  people  who  went  to  the 
horse  races  often  bet  on  the  outcome  of  the  race.  But  the 
amounts  wagered  were  small,  and  it  was  usually  open  and  above 
board.  Reynolds  in  "My  Own  Times,"  states  that  one  form  of 
amusement  among  the  common  people  consisted  in  practical 
jokes  on  one  another.  Some  times  their  jokes  disturbed  pub- 
lic gatherings. 

Social  intercourse  was  regulated  by  the  make-up  of  the  com- 
munity. In  some  instances  the  people  were  of  one  religious  faith 
or  of  one  industrial  activity  and  in  such  cases  there  was  not 
as  much  helpfulness  gotten  from  social  contact  as  was  the  case 
where  the  neighborhood  or  community  was  some  what  hetero- 
geneous. Morris  Birkbeck,  writing  from  the  western  part  of 
Indiana,  Princeton,  on  July  24,  1817,  says :  "Regretting,  as  I 
must,  my  perpetual  separation  from  many  with  whom  I  was  in 
habits  of  agreeable  intercourse  in  Old  England,  I  am  much  at 
ease  on  the  score  of  society.  We  shall  possess  this  one  thing 
needful,  which  it  was  supposed  the  wilderness  could  not  supply, 
in  the  families  of  our  own  establishment,  and  a  circle  of  citi- 
zen neighbors,  such  as  this  little  town  affords  already.  The 
social  compact  here  is  not  the  confederacy  of  a  few  to  reduce 
the  many  into  subjection,  but  is  indeed,  and  in  truth,  among 
these  simple  republicans,  a  combination  of  talents,  moral  and 
physical,  by  which  the  good  of  all  is  promoted  in  perfect  accord- 
ance with  individual  interest.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  better,  because 
a  more  simple  state  than  was  ever  portrayed  by  the  Utopian 
theorist." 

In  the  small  villages  there  was  often  social  conditions  quite  in 
contrast  with  the  life  in  the  interior.  Morris  Birkbeck  boarded 
a  while  in  the  Town  of  Princeton,  Indiana,  in  August,  1817. 
This  town,  of  course,  would  not  differ  from  a  town  of  the  same 
size  and  age  in  Illinois.  Princeton  is  twelve  miles  south  of  east 
from  Mount  Carmel.  "Though  but  two  years  old,  and  containing 
about  fifty  houses,  this  little  town  affords  respectable  society; 
it  is  the  county  town,  and  can  boast  as  many  well  informed 
genteel  people,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  as 
any  county  town  I  am  acquainted  with.  I  think  there  are  half 
as  many  individuals  who  are  entitled  to  that  distinction  as  there 
are  houses,  and  not  one  decidedly  vicious  character,  nor  one  that 
is  not  able  to  and  willing  to  maintain  himself." 

On  July  7,  1817,  Mr.  Birkbeck  writing  from  the  Wabash,  had 
stated  a  rather  unfavorable  report  of  the  people  whom  he  found 
in  the  country  districts  of  Eastern  Illinois  and  Western  Indiana, 
as  understood  in  England.  '  At  that  time  he  explained  what  the 
difference  was  between  the  first  and  second  waves  of  pioneers. 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS  451 

"An  unsettled  country,  lying  contiguous  to  one  that  is  settled,  is 
always  a  place  of  retreat  for  rude  and  even  abandoned  charac- 
ters, who  find  the  regulations  of  society  intolerable;  and  such, 
no  doubt,  had  taken  up  their  unfixed  abode  in  Indiana.  These 
people  retire  with  the  wolves,  from  the  regular  colonists,  keep- 
ing always  to  the  outside  of  civilized  settlements." 

On  August  the  10th,  Mr.  Birkbeck  appears  to  be  back  in 
Illinois  and  at  the  place  selected  for  his  future  home  (the  Eng- 
lish Prairie).  After  describing  Shawneetown  which  he  says 
will  be  his  nearest  shipping  point  (forty-five  miles  away),  he 
says:  "We  are  on  the  confines  of  society,  among  true  back- 
woodsmen. We  have  been  much  among  them — have  lodged  in 
their  cabins,  and  partaken  of  their  wretched  and  scanty  fare; 
they  have  been  our  pilots  to  explore  situations  still  more  remote, 
and  which  only  hunters  visit.  (Mr.  Birkbeck  wishes  to  apolo- 
gize for  some  impressions  which  had  obtained  in  England  about 
these  backwoodsmen  and  so  he  proceeds  to  say)  : 

"From  a  nearer  view  of  these  people,  something  must  be  with- 
drawn from  the  picture  which  is  given  of  their  moral  character 
in  the  note  above  referred  to.  (As  found  in  his  letter  of  July 
7,  1817.)  It  is  rather  an  ill-chosen  or  unfortunate  attachment 
to  the  hunters'  life,  than  an  unprincipled  aversion  to  the  regula- 
tions of  society,  which  keeps  them  aloof  from  the  abodes  of 
more  civilized  men." 

He  further  points  out  that  these  frontiersmen  must  live  where 
there  is  plenty  of  "bear  and  deer,  and  wild  honey."  They  really 
love  bear  hunting  and  are  willing  to  live  in  frontier  wretched- 
ness in  order  to  have  the  opportunity  to  enjoy  this  economic 
sport.  "Yet  they  are  not  savages  in  their  disposition,  but  honest 
and  kind,  ready  to  forward  our  wishes,  and  even  to  labor  for 
us,  though  our  coming  will  compel  them  to  remove  to  the  outside 
again." 

A  historian  writing  before  the  Civil  war  and  describing 
some  of  the  aspects  of  the  social  world  says :  "During  the  years 
from  1820  to  1830,  a  great  change  took  place  in  the  appearance 
and  modes  of  dress  of  the  people.  The  coon-skin  cap,  the  hunt- 
ing shirt,  and  leather  breeches,  the  moccasins  and  the  belt 
around  the  waist,  to  which  the  butcher  knife  and  tomahawk 
were  appended,  had  entirely  disappeared  before  the  modern 
clothing  apparel.  The  women  had  exchanged  their  cotton  and 
woolen  frocks,  manufactured,  and  striped  with  blue  dye,  by  them- 
selves, for  modern  dresses  of  silk  and  calico ;  they  had  laid  aside 
the  cotton  handkerchiefs,  which  formerly  covered  their  heads, 
and  adopted  bonnets  instead ;  they  would  not,  as  formerly,  walk 
barefooted  to  church,  but  would  often  be  seen  riding  on  fine 
horses  to  the  house  of  worship.  They  would  go  to  church  flat- 
tering themselves  with  a  secret  hope  that  they  would  make  the 


452  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

best  figure  in  the  whole  assembly,  and  outshine  their  neighbors 
by  the  brilliancy  of  their  dress. 

To  be  able  to  gratify  their  ambition  for  fine  dresses,  they 
were  obliged  to  become  industrious  and  enterprising  in  business. 
The  desire  for  fine  dresses  also  superinduced  a  similar  desire  for 
polite  society  and  knowledge,  so  that  the  old  folks,  who  would 
have  much  preferred  remaining  undisturbed  in  their  sluggish 
tranquility  and  repose,  thoroughly  taken  by  surprise,  every- 
where uttered  loud  complaints,  that  the  prodigalities,  luxuries, 
and  innovations  of  the  young,  would  speedily  cause  the  ruin  of 
the  country." 


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